For the Love of Brock
by nyislandersgirl
Summary: Brock has gone through his whole life facing unrequited love. When he runs into an old friend, however, it seems that Brock's luck might just be changing. But everything is not as it seems, and life isn't as simple as it once was. Breedershipping with minor Pokeshipping on the side.
1. Chapter One

**Good afternoon, everyone! I told you all I had a brand new story lined up, and I wasn't lying! This time, our star is none other than BROCK! That's right, I've finally decided to pair Brock up :P But with who? That might be obvious. But more importantly...why? And how? You'll find out as you read on! But first, some ages...**

**Elizabeth: 6**

**Misty: 33**

**Brock: 38**

**And a reminder that I do not own Pokémon or any of their characters, save for any OCs who may show up throughout this little tale, including Elizabeth :)**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter One**

On a warm, sunny September day, Elizabeth Ketchum was walking alongside her godfather Brock, looking up curiously at the older man.

"Brock?" Elizabeth squeaked.

"What's up Lizzie?"

"How come you're not married?"

Brock stopped dead in his tracks. Elizabeth stopped next to him, confused as to why Brock had stopped so abruptly.

"Uh…well you see Lizzie…I…I just haven't found the right girl yet!" Brock chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, my Daddy does that when he gets nervous!" Elizabeth giggled.

"Err, come on, cutie pie!" Brock cried, grabbing the little girl's hand and beginning to skip with her, "we've got to get you back to your Mommy!"

"Why?" Elizabeth inquired.

Brock sighed. Elizabeth was almost too curious for her own good. Just like Misty. "Because I bet she really misses you! You're her only baby left."

"I'm not a baby," Elizabeth scrunched her nose up, "and she doesn't miss Aiden or Michelle. She's happy for them!"

Brock couldn't believe that Elizabeth didn't remember how miserable Misty was after her and Ash's two older children left for their Pokémon journeys. But then again, Elizabeth was only four years old at the time, and her memories of the drama were probably very limited. Misty was much better at hiding her feelings on the subject now.

Brock smiled. "Yeah, but she still loves you dearly."

Elizabeth frowned. "You love me, don't you Brock?" She was beginning to get the feeling that she was unwanted.

"Of course I love you, sweetheart!" Brock laughed as he patted the girl's head. "You're very dear to me."

"Okay," Elizabeth sighed. She was clearly happy that Brock didn't dislike her. Squinting her eyes, Elizabeth looked over one of the rolling hills of the path before pointing outwards and jumping up excitedly. "Look Brock! I can see the gym from here!"

"Me too," Brock folded his arms, "it's not hard to miss. It's a pretty crazy looking thing, isn't it?"

"It has pink on it," Elizabeth commented. She didn't care how stupid the building looked so long as it involved her absolute favorite color.

"Yes, that _does_ make you happy, doesn't it?"

"I'll race you!" Elizabeth called as she bolted down the hill. Brock gasped and chased after her, although the attempt was futile.

"L…Lizzie, come on!" Brock panted, "I'm old here!"

"But you're fast like Daddy!" Elizabeth replied without turning around.

"No, I'm certainly not as fast as your Daddy!" Brock shook his head with a little chuckle. Elizabeth kept on running until she neared a busy street, which caused Brock to panic and pick up the pace. Overworking his system, Brock finally caught up to the young girl, but she had already stopped on the corner.

"I know not to cross the street alone, silly Brock," Elizabeth giggled, "Mommy always tells me to wait for an adult."

"Your…Mommy…is very…smart," Brock puffed, offering his hand to the smaller red head. Elizabeth grinned cheekily, a look very reminiscent of her father, and slipped her hand into Brock's.

The Pokémon doctor led her across the street before letting her run towards the gym once more. There weren't any other busy streets near the place, so Brock assumed it would be okay to give the child a little freedom.

Her words still resonated in his head, however. Why _hadn't _he found a girl yet? He'd tried, obviously he had. But so far; nothing. And he _was_ getting on in years. Groaning inwardly, Brock came to a silent decision.

"Mommy!"

Elizabeth's angelic little voice broke Brock out of his trance. She was running towards Misty, her dark red hair flying out behind her. Misty, in turn, was beaming like the sun and holding her arms out for the child.

"Hello Lizzie!" Misty cooed as the younger girl jumped at her to deliver a tight hug. "Did you have fun with Brock today?"

"Of course!" Elizabeth giggled, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "Carry me."

"Lizzie, you're a bit too big to be carried around, don't you think?" Misty winced, "you're six years old, after all."

"Please Mommy?" Elizabeth begged with a pout. Brock smirked. He knew what Misty's response was going to be after that.

"Alright. Just this once."

"Yay!" Elizabeth cheered before putting her head down once again.

"Now how'd I know you wouldn't be able to refuse that little face?" Brock asked teasingly.

"She's got Ash's face," Misty tried to defend herself with a little pout of her own. "I know you guys don't see it because she pretty much has my coloring, but this little girl pulls Ash faces."

"No, I can see it," Brock agreed. Misty examined the older man's face very carefully, which perplexed the Pokémon doctor greatly. "What's up, Misty?"

"Is something wrong, Brock?" Misty asked softly.

"Huh? No. Why?"

Misty slightly narrowed her eyes. "Yes there is. Something is wrong."

"_Nothing_ is wrong," Brock groaned. "Really, Misty. I don't see where you're getting that idea from."

"Your face!" Misty sighed, rolling her eyes as though it were obvious. "Come on Brock, tell me what's up."

"You're very observant Misty," Brock finally gave in with a heavy sigh.

Misty nodded, "I know that. Now, quit skipping around the question and answer me."

"Fine. Elizabeth asked me a question before. A pretty good one, I suppose. She wanted to know why I wasn't married."

"Elizabeth, that isn't an appropriate question," Misty scolded the child. When she got no response, Misty glanced down and clicked her tongue. Elizabeth, as it would turn out, was fast asleep in Misty's arms. "Such an Ash…"

Brock smirked. "It's alright Misty, I wasn't offended by it. She has a point. It's a little strange that I haven't found anyone by now. And I'm so much older. No girl would want to be with me. So, I figure I should just give up."

"Brock, you can never give up on love," Misty replied sternly.

"But Misty-"

"No buts mister!" Misty interrupted. "One day, you're going to find the perfect woman. I'm sure of it! All you have to do is keep looking."

"But I've _been_ looking!" Brock sighed, sagging his shoulders, "ever since I was a kid, pretty much. I guess I just can't be as lucky as you and Ash."

"Don't say that Brock," Misty comforted him. "You _will _find someone who loves you the way Ash loves me. And you'll love them back the way I love Ash."

"I don't know…" Brock sighed.

"Tell you what," Misty crooned, smiling softly, "what if I help you out?"

"Huh? How are you gonna' do that?"

"I can give you advice and things like that!" Misty giggled, "I'm a woman, aren't I? I know what we look for in a guy."

"That's true," Brock mused.

"So come on! I'll go with you tomorrow, and we'll see what we can do."

"Go with me _where_?"

"Um…I don't know…" Misty murmured. "But I'm sure we'll figure out something! Please?"

"If you insist," Brock finally gave in, his voice still wavering with uncertainty.

"Perfect!" Misty cheered, "Don't worry Brock. I'm going to help you find love if it's the last thing I do!"

Brock sighed and smacked a hand against his forehead.

_Well, Misty, it may very well be the last thing you do. Because I don't see how this is going to ever work._

* * *

**Cheer up, Brock! Misty's gonna help you! Uh...right?**

**So, what IS going to happen when Misty tries to help Brock find true love? You'll find out! Until then, leave a review and tell me what you think is going to happen! If you guys give me positive feedback, you could have a brand new chapter by...tomorrow? ;)**


	2. Chapter Two

**Greetings! I'm glad you guys really seemed to receive the first chapter so well! And that we're all in agreement that Brock needs someone to love, lol. Don't worry, he's getting it! And Misty's gonna help him ;)**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Two**

The next day, after leaving Elizabeth in the care of her mother-in-law and closing the gym for the afternoon, Misty dragged Brock out to a showcase that was in the city for Pokemon breeders.

"A breeding showcase?" Brock muttered once they'd arrived. "Why are we looking here?"

"Because this used to be your goal," Misty replied effortlessly. "And even though you're now a Pokemon _doctor_, you still know more about breeding than anyone else I know! I bet you'll be able to get along well with all of the female breeders here."

"Misty, I don't know about this…" Brock sighed, leaning his back against the nearby wall.

"Come on, what happened to the old Brock?" Misty encouraged. "The one who flirted with every pretty girl in sight and had to be dragged away by yours truly?"

"He's good and dead," Brock dejectedly replied. "Having been hit with the harsh reality that he's doomed to be alone for the rest of his life."

"Don't get so dark on me," Misty sighed, grabbing Brock's arm and pulling him off the wall. "Come on! Have some confidence! We're going to go in there and find some nice girls for you to socialize with. But it's not going to work if you look absolutely miserable! Smile, damn you."

Brock scoffed at this, leading a suspicious glint to go off in Misty's eyes. "Smile or I'll drag you in there by the ear."

Standing upright, and with a goofy, overwrought smile and a look of obvious fear on his face, Brock marched right into the building, earning a victorious smirk from the gym leader accompanying him. Shaking out her hair, Misty followed behind Brock, looking quite proud of her accomplishment.

"So, where should we start?"

Misty hummed before grinning at the bewildered Pokemon doctor. "Wherever you want, Brock! This is your quest for love, not mine. Get those eyes going and find yourself one of those pretty girls you love so much! Then we'll take it from there."

Nodding, Brock began to look around the room, searching for a girl who piqued his interests. There were all kinds of displays and stands set up, each one representing different areas of Pokemon breeding. Grooming products, food stands, even live demonstrations were all being presented within feet of one another. It brought Brock back to the good old days, and managed to also bring a smile to his face.

"See anyone yet?"

Brock sighed and looked down at Misty, who was scanning the area herself. "You can't rush the love doctor, Misty."

"The love doctor?" Misty repeated incredulously. "Oh please, Brock. I almost had to drag you in here! Don't go stroking your own ego, now."

"Just trying to build up my confidence, like you said," Brock chuckled. He continued looking around the room, seeing all different girls but not finding a single one who sent his heart racing. That was the reaction he was looking for. The same one he had always gotten as a teenager. "This isn't working, Misty."

"Try harder, Brock!" Misty groaned. "As much as I like to label myself a hopeless romantic, even _I _know you're not just going to find someone who's your perfect match. You've got to _talk_ to them! It's all about being personable."

"Even though you and Ash were love at first sight?" Brock muttered.

"Brock, I slapped him within five seconds of meeting him. You call _that_ love at first sight?"

"Well…no."

"Exactly!" Misty sighed. "That's why you have to _talk_ to the girls! Not just ogle them from a comfortable distance!"

"Guess you're right," Brock sighed, once again looking around the room. After a few moments of searching, he set his sights on a beautiful blonde, who was currently showcasing the decorations she had placed in her Chansey's appendages. "What about her?"

Misty glanced over at the blonde and grinned. "Oh, she's pretty! Go for it, Brock!"

Sucking in a deep breath, Brock puffed out his chest and began to march towards the pretty breeder, a big smile on his face and a glint shining in his eyes. After only a few steps, however, Brock ended up stumbling over a young girl who had just run out of nowhere. Misty gasped as the collision happened and quickly ran over to the scene, kneeling down by the little girl.

"Oh, are you alright, sweetheart?" Misty crooned to the child.

The little girl blinked and looked up at Misty, her lower lip quivering. It was obvious that the child was on the verge of tears. Just as Misty was about to reach out and pick up the girl, Brock swooped in and lifted her up instead, soothingly stroking the back of the girl's head.

"It's okay, little one," Brock murmured, comforting the frightened child. "You're just a little scared, huh? Poor thing. It's alright."

Misty stood back up and stared ahead at Brock, blinking. "Brock, what about the pretty blonde girl?"

"This pretty blonde girl is more important right now," Brock chuckled before his expression and tone became more serious. "That collision really spooked her. Look at the poor thing."

As Brock bounced the little girl up and down, she seemed to relax rather quickly. Her very dark blonde hair was stick straight, hanging halfway down her back. Her eyes were a very dark brown, though they were shining as brightly as diamonds. Her skin was light, making the fair blush on her cheeks stand out. And Brock couldn't help but to notice how well dressed the girl was: in a sleeveless, ivory dress with a coral sash and big, taffeta flowers in the colors of coral, yellow, and green decorating the bottom of the skirt.

"Feeling better, little girl?" Brock asked kindly.

"Yeah," she replied softly, much to the Pokemon doctor's surprise.

"Oh, well that's great!" Brock chuckled. "Who are you here with today?"

"My mommy."

"Your mommy, huh?" Brock murmured. "Alright. Well, my friend and I are going to help you find your mommy! Right, Misty?"

"Of course!" Misty chirped. She _had_ come here with the intention of finding Brock a date, but her maternal instincts were much too strong for her to ignore a lost little girl.

"It'd be a lot easier to find her if we knew your name, darling," Brock calmly informed the child. "Would you mind telling us what it is?"

"I-"

"Bella!"

The little girl looked over her shoulder and squealed delightfully, holding her arms out and giggling. "Mommy!"

A teal haired woman ran forward, gasping at the sight of her daughter. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright! I was so worried! Don't _ever_ run off like that again!"

"I'm sowwy, Mommy," Bella murmured, pulling at her lower lip.

Sighing, the woman shook her head and lifted the girl out of Brock's arms, smiling and shaking her head. "I'm sorry for all the trouble. Thank you for helping my sweet little Bella!"

Brock couldn't respond. He was just standing there with his jaw dropped. Misty, as much as she wanted to respond, was stuck in the same position. Confused, the woman finally looked Brock in the face, and as soon as she did, she let out her own gasp and took a step back.

"B-Brock?!"

Brock's shoulders sank, although his jaw was still dropped.

"Yeah…hi, Suzy."

* * *

**Teehee, it's Suzy! But...she's got a daughter. Hmm. Mysteries! Nah, you'll all find out soon. Soon enough, anyway ;)**

**The best interaction to write this chapter was Brock and Misty. They are wonderful together. It's great to get into a sassy mindset like Misty's and see what comes out.**

**Hopefully you all liked this chapter as much as the first! Look for the second one tomorrow...after my classes T_T**


	3. Chapter Three

**I've gotten through one day of school and I'm already exhausted. Is that bad? Probably.**

**But, the good news is that I DID survive, so you CAN have the third chapter of the story! Score for you guys :P Now that Suzy and Bella have officially been revealed, you can have their ages as well.**

**Suzy: 40**

**Bella: 4**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Three**

"Mommy, who's dis?"

Suzy finally smiled and looked down at her daughter. "This is one of Mommy's old friends, beauty. His name is Brock! He's very special to me…he took care of my Vulpix for a very long time when we were younger."

"Vulpix!" Bella cried, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, you did it!" Suzy giggled, tickling the little girl's stomach. "You're so smart!"

As Bella giggled at her mother's actions, Brock just continued to stand there with a stunned look on his face. Once she was done with her daughter, Suzy giggled and looked up at Brock, positively beaming at him.

"It's so good to see you again, Brock!" Suzy breathed. "I thought you would be a world famous Pokémon breeder by now! But I never see you at any competitions or showcases."

"I-I changed my career path a few years ago," Brock replied. "I actually became a Pokémon doctor."

"Oh, that's amazing!" Suzy gushed. "That's not an easy job. You have to be so dedicated and smart to do that!"

"I suppose…" Brock murmured, chuckling afterwards. Misty just watched on with a smirk on her face as Brock nervously rubbed the back of his neck. She could tell that Brock was still infatuated with the Pokémon breeder. But then, her face fell. Suzy had a daughter. So obviously, she was taken by someone.

"And Misty, what a surprise to see you here as well!"

Misty snapped out of her stupor and smiled kindly at Suzy, who was still beaming. "Yes, it's a surprise to see you, too!"

"You're the gym leader here, aren't you?" Suzy asked conversationally.

"I sure am!" Misty crowed. "Doesn't sound like much, but-"

"Are you kidding?" Suzy cut her off. "That's not an easy job, either! And I've read that you're one of the strongest gym leaders in all of Kanto!"

"I…I guess you could say that!" Misty laughed, a blush gracing her cheeks.

"And you're a mother too, correct?"

"Yeah," Misty confirmed, her face brightening as the topic of her children came up. "I have twelve year old twins who are out on their Pokémon journeys right now, and I also have a six year old at home. She keeps me plenty busy."

"I'm sure," Suzy marveled. "And how is Ash?"

"Like a fourth child," Misty quipped, causing Suzy to laugh.

"He's the Pokémon Master!" Suzy commented.

"Yes, he is," Misty giggled. "And that keeps him _insanely_ busy. But as long as he's around for Elizabeth, I don't mind. He loves his job. And somehow, he always manages to find time for both me and her. And time to drive _me_ up a wall on top of it!"

"That's so wonderful to hear!" Suzy replied. "Well, not that Ash drives you up a wall."

"Don't worry, I understand," Misty laughed.

Looking back over at Brock, who was still blushing, Suzy let out a soft laugh of her own. "Brock, I'd love to catch up with you! I want to hear all about your job as a Pokémon doctor."

"Me too!" Brock blurted out. "I mean, not _your_ job as a Pokémon doctor. I mean I want to catch up to you, too. About…life. And stuff."

Misty scoffed and rolled her eyes. At least it was good to see that Brock still wasn't smooth with the ladies.

"Could we go right now?" Suzy requested, leading Brock's whole face to turn red. "I just finished up a demonstration, so I've got lots of free time on my hands!"

"That…that would be great!" Brock stammered, his grin widening. "Yes! Great!"

"_Mommy_," Bella whined, throwing her head back. "I wanna _pway_. I don _wanna _sit no mowe."

"Bella, don't be rude," Suzy scolded her daughter. "Mommy wants to talk to her friend! Besides, you've gotten into more than enough trouble today. You shouldn't be asking to play right now."

"Suzy, if you'd like, I could watch Bella for you while you and Brock catch up," Misty volunteered. She hadn't exactly been expecting to spend her day babysitting, especially after leaving her own daughter with Delia. But Misty _had_ offered to help Brock find a woman. And although Suzy appeared to be taken, she was definitely better than nothing.

"Are you sure?" Suzy sighed. "I don't want to make you run after a four year old."

"I'm _very_ used to it, don't worry," Misty laughed. "In fact, Brock is my children's godfather. He can tell you just how crazy they all are."

Suzy's dark brown eyes, a perfect match for Bella's, lit up at this. "Aw, you're a godfather?"

"Yeah, three times over," Brock chuckled. "I love them with all of my heart."

"If you're sure…" Suzy murmured, handing Bella over to Misty. "We won't be long, I promise."

"Don't worry about it!" Misty assured, bouncing Bella on her hip. "Take as long as you want! This little cutie and I will have lots of fun together. Right?"

Bella didn't respond. Instead, she lowered her head and looked down at the floor.

"Oh, sure, _now_ she wants to go back to being shy," Suzy sighed. "Those are actually Bella's true colors. She's typically a very quiet little girl. I think she just got stir crazy and kind of lost her cool."

"Good thing I know how to deal with quiet little girls!" Misty trilled. "My older daughter was just like this as a kid. I've got it covered."

"Thanks, Misty," Suzy sighed gratefully. "I owe you one."

"No you don't," Misty giggled. "Getting Brock off my hands is enough!"

**XXX**

"So, Brock, how have you been? I assume busy, since you're a Pokémon doctor."

"Yeah," Brock chuckled, stirring his coffee. "It's been a bit crazy ever since I got my degree. But I really love it! Helping out Pokémon is great."

"Where do you work?" Suzy asked curiously.

"I have my own office in Pewter City," Brock explained. "It's connected to the Pokémon Center there. I'm able to take care of more serious illnesses and injuries so Nurse Joy can focus on quicker, easier ailments. But I also make house calls all over the region. So I still get to travel a bit, too."

"But you mostly live in Pewter City?" Suzy murmured.

"Yep! It's nice to be close to my family."

"Oh," Suzy breathed. "Are you married?"

"N-no," Brock sheepishly admitted, a blush gracing his cheeks. "Never quite found the right girl."

"I'm sorry!" Suzy quickly apologized, looking _and _sounding incredibly flustered. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't do anything, Suzy," Brock assured with a laugh. "Don't worry about it! It was an innocent question."

"Maybe so, but I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," Suzy murmured.

"It's perfectly fine," Brock promised with a smile. "So, tell me about Bella! She's an adorable little girl."

"Oh, thank you," Suzy giggled bashfully. "She just recently turned four. She's…the love of my life. I love her more than anything else in the world. I can barely remember life without her. And I had her when I was older than most mothers."

"I was going to say," Brock commented. "I mean, just because all of my friends had a habit of getting married and having a baby all in the same year. Even with Ash and Misty. They get married, I turn around, and she's pregnant."

Suzy giggled at this. "That's what I was wondering! Because I remember Ash and Misty being younger than you."

"They are, by five years," Brock confirmed. "They were 21 when the twins were born. They were still very young. But…they were ready. They're great parents. Their kids are very sweet. Kind, well behaved, well mannered…I watch them all the time. I was just babysitting Elizabeth yesterday, in fact."

"She's the youngest?" Suzy queried.

"Yep, she's the six year old. The twelve year olds are Aiden and Michelle. You'll have to meet them one day. They're _just_ like Ash and Misty. It's kind of crazy!"

"I would love to!" Suzy giggled.

"So, obviously you have your beautiful daughter," Brock continued, forcing a smile onto his face. "I assume _you're_ taken."

"Well…I _was_," Suzy corrected.

Brock nearly fell out of his seat. "W-wait, what? What do you mean you _were?_"

"It's a long story," she laughed just once, staring down at her coffee. "I wouldn't want to bore you with it."

Reaching across the table, Brock grabbed Suzy's hands, surprising the Pokémon breeder and bringing a solid blush to her cheeks.

"You could never bore me, Suzy," Brock murmured, his gentle, caring voice only increasing Suzy's blush. "I am willing to listen for as long as you want me to. Unless, of course, you don't want to talk about it."

"No, it's fine," Suzy assured, her smile widening. She felt almost delirious…like a teenager again. "I have no problem talking about it. I just didn't want to make myself a burden."

"You're not," Brock promised. "You have all of my attention. I promise."

With a nod, Suzy ran a hand through her teal hair and breathed, "It actually began a few years ago…"

* * *

**Suzy's story time! We're gonna find out what happened with her and Bella's father. Who IS Bella's father? He's not an OC, he exists within the Pokémon universe...**

**Curious now, aren't you? Good! You'll all find out...tomorrow, perhaps? Leave me a review and tell me who you think it is ;)**


	4. Chapter Four

**I survived my first week! Even though it was only two days! Baby steps.**

**Anyway, it's time for the newest chapter! Who is Bella's father is our current question at hand. I looked over the reviews, and a few of you actually got it right! But who? You'll find out...now!**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Four**

"Do you remember back in Johto, when we entered the Pokémon breeding competition as a team?"

Brock nodded wordlessly at Suzy's question, not wanting to speak but just to listen.

"And you remember my childhood friend Zane, right?"

Once again, Brock nodded. How could he forget about the blond boy who had all but taken Suzy from him?

"Well, shortly after that competition, we began working as a breeding team," Suzy explained, her voice steady. "And it was pretty obvious that we both had feelings for one another. We were eighteen at the time, but still not very open about our feelings. It took us two whole years to start dating."

"So…Zane was your boyfriend?" Brock asked slowly.

"Yes," Suzy confirmed, her answer not at all confident. "After that, we dated for a very long time. Until we were about 25. Then we had a big falling out, and broke up. After that, we were on and off for a good five years until finally, we got engaged."

Brock bit his lower lip. He knew he should have seen it coming.

"So…Zane is Bella's father," Brock concluded.

"Yes," Suzy once again ratified. "But, you have to remember, she wasn't born until Zane and I were 36 years old. We didn't get married until we were 32, because even our engagement was plagued with problems. But we were sure we loved each other. Being Pokémon breeders involved so much travel that we could never pinpoint when a good time to have a child was. But I really wanted a baby. Once I turned 35, I told Zane I couldn't wait any longer, and that's how Bella came to be. But even after she was born, Zane and I noticed the cracks in our relationship growing wider and wider."

Brock just continued nodding, his whole head feeling numb.

"We were just two different people," Suzy sighed. "I didn't really want to travel anymore. I still loved being a breeder, but I would have preferred to settle down and open my own breeding center. I wanted to have a house and a few more kids. But Zane just wanted to go, go, go. He loved traveling. And he didn't want to stop."

"So you both grew apart," Brock breathed, coming to realization.

"Yes," Suzy said once again. "Our goals were just too different. We were no longer compatible. So, after a lot of consideration, Zane and I decided to split up."

"Oh," Brock murmured, letting out a long breath. "So you're…you're…"

"Divorced," Suzy finished for Brock, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Suzy," Brock quickly replied.

"No, I know," Suzy sighed, shaking her head. "And it could have been so much worse. Zane and I are still friends. Bella still sees him and knows him. The split was amicable. No one was blindsided or left angry. And that's the most important thing."

"Especially for Bella," Brock added.

"_Especially_ for Bella," Suzy agreed. "I mean, we tried to make it work for her sake. We didn't want her to feel torn or like it was her fault. But fortunately for us, she's pretty much the smartest four year old in the entire world. She understands she's not to blame. And she's okay with the separation. She _loves_ going to visit her daddy. It's very sweet."

"That's great," Brock chuckled. Because he had already met Bella, all he could picture was the little girl's sweet face, so happy and smiley. "So, where do you and Bella live? In the Kanto region?"

At this, Suzy's face fell. "Well, that's the thing."

Brock arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Zane and I officially divorced shortly before Bella's birthday," Suzy explained. "So…a few months ago. We were travelling together up until then. But because the divorce was only a few months ago, I still haven't found a suitable place to live. Bella and I are still travelling from place to place for breeding competitions and showcases."

"Wait…" Brock began, his eyes shifting. "Does this mean that Bella…Bella's never lived in a house before?"

"No," Suzy finally admitted. "All she knows are hotels and campers. She's never even had her own room. I feel so awful…like I've been depriving my daughter of some fundamental need."

"But you haven't!" Brock rushed to assure Suzy. "Sure, it's not a typical life, but she still had shelter and love…you weren't depriving her of anything."

"Maybe not, but that's how I feel," Suzy sighed. "That's why I wanted to settle down and have a home. For Bella's sake. But…it's just been so hard. Between the divorce, and her birthday, and the competitions and showcases…you must think I'm a terrible mother."

Brock's jaw dropped at this. He was _stunned _that Suzy could even come up with anything like that. Despite his brain telling him not to, Brock reached across the table and held Suzy's face in his hand, bringing back the breeder's explosive blush.

"You're definitely not a terrible mother," Brock assured, his voice soft and caring. "From all I've heard today, I know that you love Bella more than life itself. You would never hurt her, or do anything wrong. You're looking out for her best interests. And right now, you're just stuck. Is she happy?"

"The happiest little girl I've ever seen," Suzy giggled sadly, her eyes filling with tears. "Nothing ever seems to bother her."

"Then that's all that matters," Brock concluded, sitting back down in his seat. "You've obviously raised her extremely well. You _and _Zane."

"Thank you," Suzy murmured, still blushing. "But…that doesn't change my mind. I still want to settle down with Bella. In a permanent home. But I haven't looked anywhere yet, and this is my last showcase for the season."

"Where were you going to go after this?" Brock asked.

"We were just going to keep staying in the hotel," Suzy sighed. "I don't like it, but Bella doesn't mind. She loves having a pool right there."

Brock laughed at that.

"But I…I just don't know," Suzy groaned. "I'm so sick of bringing my daughter back to a hotel every single night."

"Well…I'm with you. I think Bella's had enough of the hotel life for now," Brock hummed.

"But I don't know what else to do," Suzy concluded. "Do I rent an apartment? I'm just so lost."

"You don't have to be," Brock murmured. "Because I have a plan."

"You do?" Suzy questioned.

"Yeah," Brock replied confidently. "You and Bella are going to stay at my place. For as long as you need."

Suzy's eyes widened at this. "Brock, I couldn't…"

"You wouldn't be imposing at all," Brock jumped in. "Trust me. I have a really nice house, and I'm the only person living there! I could use some company. I have rooms for you and Bella, you two could have home cooked meals…and I know that Bella loves swimming, so if she ever wants, I can just take her over to Misty's gym! There's a nice, big pool there for her to play in. And she could even meet Ash and Misty's younger daughter! I know Bella is two years younger, but I bet she and Elizabeth would get along wonderfully. Elizabeth is a very sweet, friendly girl. She'd take to Bella in a heartbeat."

Suzy seemed very overwhelmed by the offer. "Brock…this is too much…"

"It isn't, I promise," Brock once again grabbed Suzy's hands. "Until you get yourselves situated, or whenever you feel like leaving, my home will be your home. I think it's time for Bella to experience that."

Suzy smiled at that. "You're right, Brock. It is time she experienced that."

"Perfect," Brock breathed. "We'll go to your hotel right after the showcase and get your things."

"Thank you so much, Brock," Suzy wheezed, getting up from her seat and giving the surprised Pokémon doctor a tight hug. "This means everything to me."

"Don't mention it," Brock whispered, hugging the breeder right back.

* * *

**Yes, Suzy was married to Zane, and therefore, he is Bella's father. I was trying to hint at it with her dark blonde hair :)**

**So now, Suzy and Bella are going to be staying at Brock's house for a little while! Can this only lead to trouble? Hmm. We'll see!**


	5. Chapter Five

**Waah, sorry guys! I got a little forgetful this weekend. I had a lot of homework, and meetings...but it's done for now :P So, here's your long-awaited update! Terribly sorry about the wait!**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Five**

After retrieving Suzy and Bella's things from the hotel, and bidding farewell to Misty, Brock drove his two new houseguests back to Pewter City, with a very inquisitive Bella in the backseat.

"Mommy, we awe we going?" Bella asked softly.

"We're going to see Brock's house!" Suzy replied sweetly. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Uh huh," Bella chirped. "But what about da –tel?"

"We're not going to stay at the hotel tonight, beauty," Suzy giggled. "We're going to stay in a real house! Isn't that exciting?"

"Uh huh."

Brock smiled at the child's bashfulness. "I noticed you keep calling her 'beauty,' Suzy. Is that her special nickname?"

"Yes, I've always called her that," Suzy giggled. "From the time she was just a little baby, in fact. She loves it. Now, whenever she hears it, she just smiles and looks at me. My heart melts every time."

"She looks just like you," Brock commented, his smile widening. "Other than the blonde hair, of course. But she's got your exact face!"

"That's what everyone likes to say," Suzy replied. "I do think I see some of Zane in her, especially in the nose and the upper half of her face. But she's definitely a stunning little girl. My little beauty. Right, Bella?"

No response. Looking over her shoulder, Suzy giggled and turned her head back around.

"What is it?" Brock asked amusedly.

"Looks like my little beauty fell asleep!" Suzy laughed. "I just knew today would tire her out."

"Misty said she and Bella had a lot of fun," Brock remarked. "Sounds like she really opened up to Misty, in fact."

"Bella may start off shy, but once she's comfortable, she's actually quite hard to settle down," Suzy mused.

"That's why I know she and Lizzie would get along so well," Brock hummed.

Once they reached the house, Suzy felt her jaw drop. It really was a gorgeous home: not too big, but certainly not small. Its façade was a chestnut brown, while the roof was a darker shade of chocolate. A gorgeous rock garden surrounded the exterior, while a cobblestone walkway led from the driveway to the front door.

"Well, what do you think?"

Suzy turned her head and gave Brock a wide eyed stare, leading the Pokémon doctor to chuckle.

"Not too bad, right?

"Are you kidding?" Suzy marveled. "It's _gorgeous!_ This is the kind of home I've always dreamed of having!"

"Well, it looks like your dream came true!" Brock crowed before catching himself. "Uh…I mean…for now, anyway. For as long as you want, I mean."

"It's alright, Brock," Suzy giggled. "No need to be nervous!"

The two adults got out of the car, Brock heading for the trunk in order to bring in Suzy and Bella's belongings. Suzy, meanwhile, busied herself with getting the sleeping Bella out of the backseat. Once everything was gathered, Brock headed to the front door and opened it up, where he was greeted by a delighted Chansey.

"Hey, Chansey!" Brock greeted. "How was your day off?"

"Chanse!"

"That's great!"

Looking around her trainer, Chansey murmured quietly as she saw Suzy approaching the front door. "Chansey?"

"Oh, right! Chansey, this is an old friend of mine, Suzy. She and her daughter are going to be staying with us for a little while! So, we're going to make them feel right at home."

"Chan!" Chansey trilled, jumping up and down excitingly. Wanting to help, she picked up Suzy and Bella's suitcases with just one arm, carrying them into the living room.

"Wow, Brock, that's one strong Chansey!" Suzy marveled.

"She's a big help," Brock agreed. "At work, _and_ at home!"

"I'd say," Suzy giggled. Bella mumbled in her sleep, which instantly caught Suzy's attention. "Oh, Brock, where can I put Bella down?"

"I'll show you," Brock replied, heading for the stairs. "Follow me!"

Suzy trailed behind Brock, right up the stairs and down the upstairs hallway until he reached a dark wooden door. Opening it up, he peered into the room and stood by the side, allowing Suzy entrance. She stepped in and gasped once again, realizing this was one of the guest rooms Brock had been talking about.

Its walls were painted ivory, while a dark wooden bed that perfectly matched the color of the wooden floor sat in the far corner. All of the other furniture in the room, including shelves, drawers, and a small bookcase, were also done in the same finish. Walking over to the bed, Brock pulled down the silver comforter, revealing the dark gray sheets beneath it. Gliding towards the corner, Suzy placed Bella down on the bed, giving her a kiss on the head before Brock pulled the sheets and comforter back up.

"Come," Brock whispered to Suzy. "I'll show you to your room next."

They both walked silently out of the room, not wanting to disturb Bella's slumber. After they left, Brock made sure to completely close the door before leading Suzy to the other guest room. As it would turn out, Suzy's room was right across the hall.

"It's perfect," Brock chuckled, showing Suzy into the room. "You know, just in case Bella needs you."

"Which she probably will," Suzy sighed laughingly. "I'm sorry in advance, by the way."

"For what?"

"If you hear her little feet pounding against your floor at night," Suzy replied. "Bella's got a habit of waking up in the middle of the night because she's lonely and wants to play. But she won't come bother you, so at least there's that."

"You don't have to apologize," Brock laughed. "The reason I have all these guest rooms in the first place is because of my nieces, nephews, and godchildren. Someone's almost always sleeping over, and I'm _very_ used to being woken up by little kids at night. So, no worries."

Suzy stood in the middle of the room and looked around. Her walls were painted a soft gray instead of ivory, though the bed, furniture, and basic setup were the same as in Bella's. Even the sheets on the bed were the same.

"Sorry, I guess I'm not very creative. I kind of thought it would look better for the rooms to match."

Suzy giggled to herself and turned around, smiling at Brock. "Oh, hush. The room is perfect! It's beautiful. You have quite the eye for design, Brock. But then again, I already knew that."

The Pokémon doctor blushed at this. "So…all of your stuff is downstairs in the living room. I'll bring it up for you, okay?"

"Oh, I can help," Suzy offered.

"Don't worry about it!" Brock assured. "I've got everything under control."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I bet you're tired from the showcase today too, after all."

Suzy smiled. She didn't want to admit it, but Brock was, in fact, right. She _was _rather drained from all of the work she had put into it.

"Feel free to take a nap," Brock motioned towards the bed. "I'm going to start making dinner. I'll wake you when it's ready, if you'd like."

"Oh, that'd be wonderful," Suzy sighed, her eyes once again tearing up. "I still can't thank you enough, Brock."

Brock smiled. "And I already told you, you don't have to. It's my pleasure, Suzy. Really."

With an impish nod, Suzy climbed up on the bed and closed her eyes, falling asleep much more quickly than she had anticipated.

* * *

**Yay, so now Suzy and Bella are officially moved into Brock's house! For now. What will happen next? You'll all find out much sooner than you did for this one! Hopefully. I promise that I'll try to be more mindful! Dumb college and life, am I right?**


	6. Chapter Six

**Your author is a psycho, ladies and gents. I had to make sure I uploaded this chapter before embarking on my journey to become full blown Queen Elsa tonight. And by that I mean somewhere along the line, I decided going to an outdoor hockey game in the dead of northeastern winter was a good idea.**

**In my defense, I didn't know we would be having ten thousand polar vortexes.**

**So, before I inevitably become a well-intentioned ice statue, here is the latest update! It's the longest one yet, so you'll have lots of material to read while I thaw myself out!**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Six**

The next time Suzy opened her eyes, it was dark out. Sitting up, the Pokémon breeder stretched her arms out and looked through the window, where she found the sun just setting above the hills of Pewter City.

_It's so beautiful, _she thought to herself. _This is all I've ever wanted…_

Her thoughts were broken off when the door to her bedroom opened, leading Suzy to gasp. Fortunately, it was just Brock poking his head in and smiling.

"Did you just wake up?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes," Suzy giggled, straightening her hair out. "Could you tell?"

"No, not at all," Brock refuted. "I just came in here to tell you dinner's ready. Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Suzy replied, getting to her feet and walking over to Brock. "Did Bella wake up yet?"

"No."

"Would you like to come with me to wake her up?"

Brock took a step back. "A-are you sure, Suzy?"

"Of course!" Suzy giggled. "She's just the cutest little thing when she first wakes up. Besides, I know she'll get upset with me if I don't wake her up to eat. She _loves_ food. And she hasn't had a home cooked meal in some time. So, come on."

Suzy gently touched Brock's shoulder before striding past him, into the hallway. Now it was Brock's turn to blush as he followed behind Suzy. He watched as she carefully opened the door, poking her own head in and smiling. Motioning for Brock to come in, the mother strode over to her daughter's bed and gently shook the little girl, coaxing her out of sleep.

"Time to wake up, beauty," Suzy whispered. "Come on, it's time for dinner!"

At the mention of dinner, Bella's eyes snapped open, revealing their dark brown hue. Beaming at her mother, the little girl jumped up excitedly, but relaxed as soon as she took in her surroundings.

"Mommy?" She squeaked.

"Yes, baby?"

"Whewe awe we?"

"I told you in the car, silly!" Suzy giggled. "This is Brock's house! We're going to stay here for a little while."

Bella continued looking around the room for a while before gasping the cutest little gasp Brock had ever heard. "Is dis my woom?"

"It sure is, little girl," Brock replied from the doorway.

Bella's whole face lit up as she jumped up off the bed, running from wall to wall, furniture to furniture. "I gots my own woom! I nevew hads one!"

Suzy looked over her shoulder and smiled at Brock, who was positively beaming. He had never loved something so much, so quickly. He only got this kind of feeling when he first met his godchildren, nieces, and nephews.

But for some reason, it felt a little different with Bella.

"Mommy!" Bella squealed, running up to Suzy and jumping up and down. "Can it be puwple?"

"What?" Suzy queried.

"My woom!" Bella giggled. "We paints it puwple?"

"Oh, no, sweetheart," Suzy sighed, the little girl's face falling instantly. "This isn't going to be your room forever. Brock's just letting you borrow it!"

Brock felt his heart shatter as he watched the little girl pout. She looked positively heartbroken. He had spent enough time with kids to tell the difference between a fit and genuine disappointment. This, he knew, was the latter. Sweet little Bella, who had never lived in a house, thought she finally had her own room…a space to actually call her own.

He wasn't about to let her down.

"Of course we can paint it purple!" Brock crowed, brightening Bella's face instantly. Suzy, on the other hand, whipped around and looked horrified.

"Brock!" She cried. "We're…we're just your guests! I'm not about to have you start renovating your whole house!"

"It's not renovating," Brock playfully refuted. "Just painting! Like an arts and crafts project."

Suzy was still in complete shock. Bella, who was totally overjoyed, ran around her mother and attached herself to Brock's legs, giving the man as tight a hug as she possibly could.

"Fank 'ou, Bwock!" She squealed, trying to squeeze him even tighter. "Fank 'ou!"

"Aw, don't mention it, darling!" Brock chuckled. Suzy, though she was still stunned, couldn't help but to watch the scene before her in complete awe. Her shy little Bella, who was normally so clingy and reserved, seemed totally in love with Brock. And after only one day.

"I'm hungwy now."

"Oh, you're hungry?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, it's a good thing I cooked lots of tasty food for you!"

Once again, Bella gasped. "You maded food?!"

"Yes!" Brock laughed. "I _love_ cooking. And I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it! But, you can just tell me yourself, alright?"

"Okay! Bwock?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Cawwy me!"

Brock's mouth fell open. He glanced up at Suzy, silently asking for her approval. With a bold smile, she nodded her head, giving Brock the okay. Forming a smile big enough to match Suzy's, Brock bent down and lifted up the little girl, who shrieked laughingly in response.

"Ready to go eat?" Brock asked the child.

"Yeah!" Bella giggled.

"Okay, let's go!" Brock cheered, carrying her out of the room.

With the smile still on her face, Suzy followed dutifully behind, watching on with great pride. She had always known it about Brock, from the time she was just a teenager. He was a special one. Kindhearted, loving, wise…such perfect qualities.

_I told myself I wouldn't do this again, but maybe…_

**XXX**

"Well, Bella, how's your dinner?"

The little girl looked up at Brock and positively beamed. "It's the yummiest evew!"

"Really? Ever?" Brock marveled. "Well then, I'll just have to add that to my long list of accomplishments!"

Still smiling, Bella pushed away her empty plate and proudly announced, "Done!"

"Bella," Suzy warned gently. "Just because you're done eating doesn't mean everyone else is. Be polite and wait for everyone else to finish."

At this, Bella pouted, which caused Brock to laugh.

"It's perfectly alright, Suzy," Brock assured the breeder. "Hey, Bella, do you like Pokémon?"

"Uh huh!" Bella chirped.

"I've got a bunch of Pokémon here that we could play with together after dinner," Brock informed the child, whose eyes lit up at the very idea. "Would you like that?"

"Yeah!" Bella giggled.

"But until then, you could always go into the living room and play with Chansey," Brock suggested.

"Cha-sey?" Bella repeated.

"Yep," Brock laughed. "I bet she'll love playing with you! Why don't you go see what she's up to?"

"Kay!" Bella chirped. Just as she was about to slide off her chair, however, the girl stopped and looked across the table at Suzy. "Mommy?"

Suzy smiled, knowing exactly what her daughter was waiting for. "Yes, beauty. You can go play with Chansey."

Giggling delightfully, Bella jumped off her chair and ran right out of the dining room, eager to find the lucky Pokémon and play with her.

"You're just…incredible," Suzy sighed, taking a sip of her water.

"What do you mean?" Brock asked.

"With kids," Suzy explained. "You're a complete natural."

"Well, to be fair, I've had a lot of practice," Brock murmured sheepishly.

"Ah, right, your godchildren," Suzy remembered.

"Yeah, them…" Brock trailed off. "And my nine brothers and sisters, and all of their kids…"

"Wait, you have _nine_ brothers and sisters?" Suzy asked, her jaw dropping.

"Yep."

The Pokémon breeder was absolutely floored. "Why did I never know about that?!"

"I guess it just never came up in conversation," Brock chuckled.

"So…how many nieces and nephews do you have?"

"Twenty."

Suzy nearly spit out her water. Covering her mouth, she stared up wide eyed at Brock, who was just smirking.

"You're kidding, right?" Suzy choked. "That's a joke?"

"Nope, no joke," Brock promised, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Thirteen nephews, seven nieces."

"That's…unbelievable," Suzy breathed, shaking her head. "Your family parties must be crazy."

"Yeah, they're pretty much sheer madness," Brock confirmed. "But, at the same time…it's kind of fun. I love all of my nieces and nephews. Especially since I don't have any kids of my own."

Suzy smiled and mindlessly pushed her remaining food around her plate. "You know, I bet you will one day."

Brock scoffed at this.

"I'm serious!" Suzy cried laughingly. "Come on. You're a great guy. And you're just wonderful with kids."

"Maybe, but I think I just waited way too long," Brock sighed. "My time probably passed."

"That's what I thought, before I had Bella," Suzy commented. Brock looked up at the contemplative breeder with interest. "I thought I was too old to have a baby. I knew Zane and I would try eventually, but I never actually thought it would work. And, obviously, it did. I have Bella to show for it."

Brock hummed thoughtfully at this. "Maybe…"

Suzy smirked, tucking a strand of teal hair behind her ear. "Everything happens for a reason. That's what I believe."

Brock just continued watching Suzy, her smirk never fading as she took another sip of her water.

**XXX**

Once he and Suzy had finished eating, just as he'd promised, Brock took Bella into the backyard to meet all of his other Pokémon.

As Suzy and her daughter soon learned from the Pokémon doctor, they all lived in a special little habitat that Brock had built specially for them. It looked like a cute, miniature version of Brock's own house, almost like a shed. But once they stepped inside, Suzy and Bella were able to see it held much more than what met the eye.

It was _exactly_ like a little house, complete with carpeting and furniture. Even an outdoor atrium made out of glass! Bella simply loved it, and began to explore every nook and cranny of the little home.

"Hey, guys!" Brock called excitedly. "I brought guests! Come say hi!"

From out of one of the doorways, a group consisting of Marshtomp, Sudowoodo, Forretress, Crobat, and Geodude appeared, happily greeting Suzy, Brock, and Bella.

"_Ooh!_" Bella squealed, running over to the Pokémon. "Hiya!"

"Guys, that's Bella," Brock introduced the little girl to his Pokémon. "She's Suzy's daughter! And she's a very sweet little girl. I bet she'd love to play for a little while! What do you say?"

The Pokémon cheered in agreement, and instantly began to play with the little girl. Suzy watched on warmly for a few moments before turning her attention back onto Brock.

"So, these are all of your Pokémon?"

"No," Brock refuted. "I also have a Steelix and Ludicolo. But I technically gave Steelix to my brother Forrest many years ago to use as a battle partner, and Ludicolo was kind of adopted by my mother. She loves him. These guys stay with me, though!"

"And they always live in here?" Suzy asked.

"No. They can come back and forth as they please! I just thought building this nice little place for them would be fun. Kind of like a getaway, almost, so they don't have to spend all day in their poke balls. But they'll still come into the house when they want to! Chansey just prefers to be in the house with me, probably because we work together all day at the office. These guys are a little more independent."

"Brock, this is amazing," Suzy complimented. "I swear I've never met a guy like you."

"Thanks," Brock chuckled sheepishly. "But...I don't think it makes me special or anything."

"Well, for what it's worth, I do," Suzy replied, perking Brock's ears.

"Bwock! Mommy! Come pway!"

The two adults looked down at Bella, who was busy spinning in circles with Forretress. This caused both of them to laugh, smiles of joy brought to their faces.

"What do you say?" Brock asked the Pokémon breeder. "Shall we join in?"

Suzy looked between Bella and Brock before smiling. "Yes, we shall."

**XXX**

After nearly an hour and a half of play, Bella was beginning to grow tired. Suzy noticed it right away, and smiled at her daughter's resistance.

"Bella, sweetie, are you tired?" She asked kindly.

"Nuh uh," Bella refuted, rubbing her eyes.

"I think you're lying," Suzy teased.

"No, Mommy."

Right after saying that, however, Bella clambered into Brock's lap and promptly fell asleep. Brock was stunned, but Suzy wasn't.

"I knew she was lying," Suzy hummed knowingly. "Always does."

Brock smiled down at the little girl and began to play with her dark blonde hair. "She's even cuter when she sleeps, huh?"

Suzy smiled and nodded. "I've always thought that."

"Like a little doll," Brock breathed, his own grin widening.

"I think we should bring her back to the house and get her into bed," Suzy announced, not taking her eyes off of the slumbering Bella.

"Agreed," Brock sighed, standing up and holding the toddler against his body.

**XXX**

Miraculously, Suzy managed to change the little girl into her bubblegum pink nightgown and tuck her into bed without waking her up. Once Bella was settled, Suzy smiled and kissed the toddler on the cheek, whispering sweetly into the child's ear. Once she was done, Suzy walked out of the room and closed the door, finding Brock to be standing with his back against the opposite wall.

"She's all good?" Brock asked.

"Yep," Suzy laughed. "Didn't even bat an eyelash."

"Good," Brock sighed, smiling at the Pokémon breeder. "So, are you going to head off to bed, too?"

"I think so," Suzy murmured. She didn't really want to…she was still refreshed from her nap. But she didn't want to be any more of a burden to Brock than she already felt, so she decided it would be best to go stay in her room. "Thank you again, Brock. I know I've already thanked you a million times, but…I don't think that will ever be enough."

Brock smirked and took a step forward, gently grabbing Suzy's hand in his own. "Suzy, I already told you…you don't have to thank me. This was the least I could do for you and Bella. As long as you're comfortable and content, I'm happy."

Suzy glanced up at Brock and smiled sweetly. As she did this, she squeezed Brock's hand more tightly and took a step closer to him.

"I am comfortable," Suzy assured the man. "And I'm more than content. I'm happy."

Smiling himself, Brock lowered his own head and rested his nose against Suzy's forehead. Raising his other hand, he brushed through Suzy's hair before tucking it behind her ear, and giving her a light, barely-there kiss on the forehead.

"Then I'm ecstatic," Brock whispered.

* * *

**Caaaan you feeeel the loooove tonight?**

**Sorry. I always ruin the moment. But, look! They're really starting to fall for each other, huh? No full blown making out yet, because obviously that's moving way too fast! But I do believe they have had buried feelings for quite some time, so I feel that those innocent kisses on the forehead are a very natural reflex.**

**So, there you have it! The shipping has officially commenced! What will happen next for our two new lovebirds? Stay tuned! You'll all find out once I get my hands on an ice pick!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**I SURVIVED GUYS! It was cold, but I dressed appropriately and lived :D I had a great time, too!**

**But, now it's back to the real world. Classes, homework, sorority, dance...life. *Sigh.* Fortunately for me, life also includes writing! And, to celebrate my winter survival, you can all have the newest chapter! Hooray!**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Seven**

After spending nearly a month at Brock's house, Suzy and Bella had really settled in.

They both loved having a steady place to go home to at night. Bella, in turn, loved having a male figure in the house. She loved her mother, of course, but she did secretly miss having both her _and_ her father in the same place. But Brock was a wonderful substitute. He would play with her whenever she asked, and made the most delicious food. In addition, he had kept his promise and painted the walls of her room purple. A beautiful, light lavender that caused her eyes to light up every time she stepped in the room.

He had also introduced her to Elizabeth, just as he said he would, and Bella was beyond thrilled. She _did_ have a few friends; mostly the children of other breeders. But it was hard to keep up with them, especially when your parents were always travelling. Although shy at first, Bella quickly warmed up to Elizabeth, and the two were soon the best of friends. Bella viewed Elizabeth as an older sister of sorts, and really looked up to her.

Suzy, of course, was able to see just how happy her daughter was. It made her even happier. While she had originally been reluctant to stay at Brock's house, she realized just how much both she and Bella had needed it. If Bella could be considered comfortable with Brock, then Suzy was absolutely cozy. She and Brock seemed to grow closer and closer every single day. They bonded over both his work and hers, sharing common interests and stories. She hadn't looked at house listings for nearly two weeks now, and although it was nudging in the back of her head, Suzy felt no rush to get back to it. And Brock didn't seem to be in any hurry to push her, either.

One lovely afternoon, while Brock was at work, the videophone began to ring. Biting her lower lip, Suzy scurried over to the phone and answered it, watching as the screen flickered to life with the image of someone very familiar.

"Zane?" Suzy questioned.

"Hey, Suzy!" Zane greeted cheerfully.

Suzy smiled back at her ex-husband. She had given him the number to Brock's house, but hadn't actually informed him that that was where she and Bella were staying.

"What's up?" Suzy asked, sitting down in the desk chair.

"I've got a breeding competition coming up in Saffron City soon," Zane explained. "Next week, in fact. I get in tomorrow. I was wondering if I could have Bella for the next few days. I really miss my little girl!"

Suzy's smile changed to reflect a sense of sadness, though Zane didn't pick up on it. "Of course. Bella will be thrilled to see you."

"That's great!" Zane breathed. "So, I can come pick her up tomorrow?"

"Sure. You have the address?"

"I do."

"Alright," Suzy murmured, trying to strengthen her smile. "We'll be here!"

"Awesome!" Zane chuckled. "See you then!"

As soon as the connection ended, Suzy sighed and hung the phone up, resting her elbows against the desk and rubbing her temples.

"Mommy? Who was dat?"

Suzy looked over her shoulder and smiled at Bella, who was standing in the doorway with a curious look on her face.

"That, my sweet beauty, was Daddy!" Suzy replied cheerfully.

"Daddy?" Bella murmured.

"Yes," Suzy giggled. "And guess what? He's coming to pick you up tomorrow!"

Bella's jaw dropped at this.

"Are you excited?" Suzy trilled.

"Yeah!" Bella cheered. "I miss Daddy."

"I know you do, beauty," Suzy replied.

Soon, however, Bella's expression dropped. "But…wha 'bout Bwock?"

Suzy's eyes flickered with interest. "What about Brock, darling?"

"He's gonna miss me," Bella murmured.

"Yes, he will," Suzy agreed. "But he knows you'll be back!"

Now Bella just looked totally bewildered. "We'we comin back?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't we, sweetheart?"

"We nevew go back nowhewe," Bella muttered.

"Oh," Suzy breathed, her heart dropping. "You think this means we're leaving, don't you, beauty?"

Wordlessly, Bella nodded her head.

"Oh, come here," Suzy crooned, dropping to her knees and holding her arms out. Instantly, Bella ran into them, resting against her mother's body as she was hugged for comfort. "We're not going anywhere, baby. When you come back from your visit with Daddy, Brock and I will be right here waiting for you. Okay?"

Once again, Bella nodded her head. Suzy, however, couldn't help but to feel devastated. All along, she thought her daughter had been okay with their lifestyle. All of the traveling, and the place to place…it never seemed to bother her. But now, Suzy could tell it did. It was obvious.

And it hurt her more than anything.

**XXX**

Fortunately, when Zane came to pick Bella up the next day, Brock was still at work. For that, Suzy was grateful. She would eventually figure out a way to explain her situation to Zane, she just didn't know how to do it right at that moment.

What was even worse was the guilt eating away at her. Suzy was already anxious every time she was separated from Bella, but now knowing that Bella was upset by all of the moving only made things worse.

When Brock returned from work that night, he could tell right away that Suzy was not being herself. She was quiet and giving off an air of misery. She could barely eat her dinner, and excused herself from the table early. His brain clouded with concern, Brock gave the breeder a few minutes before following her upstairs. He was going to check on her, and maybe find out why she seemed so preoccupied.

Once he got up the stairs, he rapidly knocked on Suzy's door, but received no immediate response. "Suzy? Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Brock arched an eyebrow. That solemn answer had been accompanied by a sniffle. Turning the doorknob, he slowly stepped into the room and set his eyes on Suzy. She was sitting on the bed, on her knees, and staring out the window. Her room faced the backyard, so she had a nice view of small, grassy slopes, the little waterfall made of various rocks and stones, and of course, the Pokémon house.

"Suzy, are you alright?" Brock asked cautiously. "You seem really upset."

Again, Suzy sniffled, but didn't actually respond.

"Is it because you miss Bella?" Brock continued. "Because I can totally understand that. I know you trust Zane with her, but it still must be hard to be separated from your little girl."

"That isn't the only reason, Brock," Suzy sighed, her voice coming out weak and defeated.

Both of Brock's eyebrows now shot up. "What else is wrong?"

Walking closer to the bed, Brock climbed on and sat down next to Suzy, looking over at her tear stained face. It practically ripped his heart in half.

"I…I always thought the traveling never bothered Bella," Suzy began. "She seemed to love the hotels and the 'adventures.' But…yesterday, after I told her she was going to be spending the next few days with Zane, she asked me if you would miss her. And I said of course."

"And I do," Brock confirmed, a small smile playing on his lips. "I miss her sweet giggles, and her bright eyes, and her wonderful hugs…but I know she'll be back soon enough."

"I know, but she didn't," Suzy sighed. "And that's the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"She thought that when she got back, we'd be leaving," Suzy murmured, her brown eyes darkening. "And I could tell she was upset, Brock. She didn't want to go anywhere anymore. I finally saw it. She doesn't like moving anymore. Maybe she never did. She loves staying in one place. The familiarity, and the comfort…she's just a child, and she needs it. But I've been denying her of it. I knew I was a terrible mother, I just knew it!"

"Don't say that, Suzy!" Brock scolded, wrapping his arm around the sobbing breeder's shoulders. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. You are _not _a terrible mother. If anything, Bella is a great daughter. She may not have been thrilled, but she didn't want to upset you, so she soldiered on. That means you raised her _perfectly_. You did. You raised a great kid, Suzy."

Suzy whimpered and rubbed her eye with the back of her hand. She remained silent, but Brock knew his words were resonating with her. And that was all that mattered.

"I know you probably want to be alone for a little bit," Brock continued, his voice dropping to a much lower decibel. "I'll leave you alone to rest."

Turning his head, he gave Suzy a quick kiss on the cheek. This was something that had been going on much more in the past few weeks. The comfort levels between Brock and Suzy just continued to go up and up, and for the past week or so, they had started kissing each other goodnight. Nothing overtly charged, and only once on the lips. Both seemed to understand that there was something there, but neither one wanted to address it. So it just hung there awkwardly, leaving both Brock and Suzy very confused.

After giving her the chaste kiss, Brock slid off the bed and walked silently out of the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. Suzy looked over her shoulder and stared at the closed door, her heart beating so loudly she could hear it in her head.

**XXX**

Understandably, Brock was having a hard time sleeping that night. He just tossed and turned in his bed, staring up at the ceiling every time he settled on his back. He couldn't stop thinking about Suzy, hoping that she was alright. At the same time, he was also concerned about Bella. Not because she was with Zane, mind you. Brock knew he was a good man who loved his daughter. Bella was just fine. But…he missed her. He'd spent every single day with her over the past month, after all. He was really beginning to think of her as a daughter.

As Brock contemplated all of this, he could hear the sound of a doorknob turning. Sitting up, he stared ahead through the dark, watching as the door opened up. Looking rather sheepish, Suzy slipped in and locked eyes with the surprised Pokémon doctor.

"You're awake?" Suzy asked.

"Yeah," Brock murmured. He leaned over and turned on his side table lamp, illuminating the room. It was the first time Suzy had been in Brock's bedroom. And she was certainly impressed. The walls were painted a pure white, and the dark wooden bed was covered by a white duvet and sheets. The mix of the dark wood and white walls were very soothing to Suzy. All of a sudden, she felt very calm.

"Are you alright?"

Suzy snapped out of her revere and nodded her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright."

Brock just kept staring at Suzy, as though silently trying to will something out of her. Finally, Suzy sighed and bowed her head, running a hand through her long teal hair.

"No. I'm not. I-I can't sleep. No matter how hard I try…I just keep throwing myself around."

Despite the situation, Brock smiled. "Sounds like you and I have that in common."

Suzy picked her head up and arched an eyebrow. "You can't sleep either?"

Brock silently shook his head. He was still staring at Suzy, contemplatively biting his lower lip.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Suzy suddenly blurted, beginning to back up. "I'm not helping anything…"

"No, you are," Brock refuted.

Now _Suzy_ was the one who seemed surprised. "I am?"

"Mmhm."

The breeder smiled sheepishly and glanced down, a blush gracing on her cheeks.

"Would you…like to join me?"

Suzy looked up with wide eyes. "Me?"

"There's no one else here," Brock chuckled.

"A-are you sure?" Suzy muttered. "You don't have to, Brock."

"No, I _want_ to," Brock confirmed. "Come on."

Nodding her head, Suzy walked towards the king sized bed, mindfully tugging down at her black nightgown trimmed with lace. Brock chuckled softly and her nervousness, waiting until she climbed into bed to turn off the side lamp. Once Suzy was settled beneath the sheets, Brock pulled her into his arms, pressing his forehead against her own. Suzy breathed out contently and rubbed her nose against Brock, smiling as she did so.

"You're adorable," Brock softly informed the breeder, tilting his head down so their lips were just brushing.

"Yeah?" Suzy asked, gently and timidly nibbling Brock's lower lip.

"Yeah," Brock moaned.

Her confidence rising, Suzy tilted her own head up just enough to catch Brock's lips in her own, engaging him in a long, passionate kiss. Brock's heart and mind were both racing. Sure, he and Suzy had been sharing kisses, but nothing of this caliber. He quickly began to kiss her back, raising his hand to rest against her cheek. Suzy did the same, pressing her delicate hand against Brock's face.

As the kiss continued, and rapidly became more and more intense, Suzy soon found herself beneath Brock, wrapping one leg around his waist. Once the kiss finally broke in order for Suzy and Brock to catch their breaths, they stared at one another for the longest time, panting heavily as their eyes locked. It was like an intense, silent conversation.

One that ended with a non-spoken agreement to take things to the next level.

**XXX**

The next few days passed much more easily than the first. Brock and Suzy both still missed Bella, of course, but they were able to distract one another almost expertly. They hadn't repeated their actions of the first night, but the invisible wall that had prevented them from reaching their full potential had finally come down thanks to it. Now, they were able to be more open with one another. Suzy had still spent every night in Brock's bed, sleeping in his arms and waking up to what seemed like hundreds of kisses. It was an amazing feeling, and for the first time since her divorce, Suzy felt truly happy.

That joy only increased the day Bella returned from her visit with Zane. Once again, Brock had to go to work, but he was already planning a large dinner to celebrate the little girl's return. Suzy was looking forward to it, knowing it would make Bella happy as well.

When the little girl returned that afternoon, Suzy was thrilled. She had been waiting outside for Zane, since the weather was so nice. Once he arrived, the breeder had to restrain herself from running across the yard in order to meet her young daughter. Fortunately, Bella had taken care of that _for_ her, sprinting across the grass with an excited shriek of, "Mommy!"

Suzy knelt down and caught the little girl in a hug, squeezing her tight. "Oh, Mommy is so happy to see you, beauty! I missed you so much!"

"I misseded you too, Mommy," Bella murmured.

"Did you have fun with Daddy?"

"Yeah! Lotsa fun!"

"That's so good," Suzy giggled, pressing a hand against the back of the girl's head. As she stood up, still holding the child, she was slightly surprised to find Zane walking towards them. "Hi, Zane."

"Hey, Suzy," Zane greeted warmly.

"Was Bella good?" Suzy asked.

"Yes, perfect!" Zane chuckled. "We had lots of fun, didn't we, sweetheart?"

"Uh huh."

"I bet Daddy spoiled you, huh?" Suzy queried.

"Yeah!" Bella laughed. "Lots!"

Suzy threw Zane a knowing glance, to which he shrugged. "I can't resist that face and you know it."

"I do," Suzy agreed, nuzzling the side of Bella's head.

"By the way, Suzy. I've got to ask you something."

Suzy blinked and looked back up at her former husband. "What is it?"

"You and Brock are a couple now?"

* * *

**Oooooooooh, snap.**

**That's right, I brought Zane into it! What's he gonna think of Brock and Suzy's...err..."relationship"? Is he mad? Surprised? Excited? Looking for some Pokémon doctor blood? Take a guess! You'll all find out next chapter!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Hello, everybody! Hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far! I'm back with the next chapter, and we're going to find out just what Zane thinks about Suzy and Bella...and where he got such an idea from ;)**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Eight**

Suzy's eyes snapped open.

"W-what? Who told you that?"

Silently, Zane motioned towards their young daughter. Groaning, Suzy looked down at the little girl and sighed.

"Bella..."

The bewildered little blonde looked up at her mother, batting her long, dark eyelashes. "What, Mommy?"

Shaking her head, Suzy placed the girl on the ground and requested, "go inside. I have to talk to you later."

"Why?"

"Because I do."

At this, Bella pouted. "I don't wanna, Mommy."

"Bella, do what I'm asking of you, please," Suzy sighed, holding a hand against her forehead. The little girl was still visibly unhappy, but this time, followed her mother's orders and scurried inside of the house. "That's…that's not true, Zane."

"But you are living with him, aren't you?" Zane questioned.

"It's…it's just until I find a place for me and Bella," Suzy replied weakly. "Brock was kind enough to offer his home to us after we caught up. I think Bella just got confused is all."

Zane smiled sympathetically at his ex-wife. "It _is_ alright to move on, Suzy."

The female breeder bristled at this. "What are you talking about, Zane?"

"We're not together anymore," Zane chuckled. "I'm not going to be mad if you start dating again. You deserve to be happy. I've always thought that, even now."

Suzy furrowed her brow. "But-"

"I'm just letting you know," Zane awkwardly interrupted. "You seemed a little worked up when I mentioned you and Brock being together."

"Which we're not," Suzy quickly replied.

"Well, maybe one day, you will be," Zane reasoned. "Brock's a good guy, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Suzy sighed. "He is."

"Bella just _raved_ about him," Zane laughed. "It's obvious he's been taking really good care of her."

"And you're not upset about it?"

"No, of course not. I'm glad he loves Bella! She deserves it, too."

Suzy smiled sheepishly and shook her head. "Thank you, Zane. You're…you're too good to me."

"I just want to do what's best for you," Zane replied, shaking his own head. "You _and_ Bella."

Suzy nodded and offered Zane an innocent hug. He returned the action and even gave her a delicate kiss on the cheek before bidding her farewell, with a promise to talk on the phone again soon.

Once Zane had left, Suzy groaned and marched back into the house, knowing she'd have to deal with Bella. Fortunately, she didn't have to look too hard for the little girl. Suzy knew exactly where to find her daughter.

The Pokémon house.

**XXX**

As soon as Suzy opened the door to the small house in the backyard, she was met with the sight of Bella placing bows on Forretress' spikes.

"Sweetheart, Forretress is a boy, I don't think he wants to wear those bows," Suzy giggled.

Bella, in turn, didn't say anything. It didn't even seem like she was listening. Letting out a tired sigh, Suzy approached Bella and knelt down, keeping her dark brown eyes locked on the little girl.

"Bella, come on, we have to talk," Suzy pleaded.

"No," Bella murmured, still busying herself with grooming Forretress.

"Why not?" Suzy asked softly.

"You'we gonna yell at me," Bella whined, finally lowering her arms to her sides.

"No, Bella, no," Suzy shushed, turning the little girl around and smiling at her. "I'm not going to yell at you, I promise. There's nothing to yell about."

Bella still looked nervous, but no longer protested against her mother.

"Sweetheart," Suzy began, her voice shaky, "why did you tell Daddy that Brock and I are together?"

"Cause you awe, Mommy," Bella replied. "We live wif him. And you love him."

Suzy's face turned red at this. She wondered if it was that obvious…or if her young daughter was just grasping at straws.

"What makes you think that I love him?" Suzy asked curiously.

"He takes cawe of me like Daddy," Bella explained. "And you kiss him."

Suzy's blush exploded all over her face. She hadn't thought that Bella had seen any of that. After all, she and Brock had been very careful, and even stealthy, about their kisses. Then again, Bella _had_ always been good at sneaking around and, for lack of a better word, spying.

"Sweetheart," Suzy sighed, hanging her head. "That…that doesn't mean-"

"I love him too, Mommy."

Suzy picked her head back up and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, beauty?"

"Bwock's the bestest evew!" Bella exclaimed. "We play and do stuff. He's like Daddy."

Despite the situation, Suzy smiled. "You really think that, huh?"

Bella rapidly nodded her head.

Suzy let out a quiet breath, but said nothing in response. She hadn't expected anything like that out of a four year old. A shy one, at that, who had managed to grow so close to Brock in such a short amount of time that she practically viewed him as a second father.

It was actually amazing, in fact.

Before Suzy could respond, the sound of a car pulling up reached her ears. She looked down at Bella and smiled, confusing the little blonde girl.

"Brock is home," Suzy informed her daughter, bringing a huge smile to the child's face. "Want to go surprise him?"

"Yeah!" Bella laughed, running straight out of the Pokémon house. Suzy stood up and watched the little girl run, a million different thoughts running through her head.

**XXX**

Needless to say, Brock was absolutely thrilled to see that Bella was back. As soon as she ran up to him, the Pokémon doctor lifted her into the air before lowering her into a tight hug and giving her a kiss atop the head.

He continued celebrating Bella's return by making the little girl a special dinner that revolved around her favorite dish of his: vegetable pasta. From the first time Bella had wolfed it down, Suzy had been shocked. Bella was a very picky eater, and vegetables were definitely at the bottom of her preference list. But she absolutely _loved_ Brock's special pasta. She probably would have eaten it every single day if she could.

Bella finished her meal rather quickly, as usual. She was always done eating before both Brock and Suzy. And every time she was done, Brock gave her permission to leave the table and play with the Pokémon. At first, Suzy had been wary of it, but she was now grateful for the time alone with Brock.

"So, Bella really had fun with Zane, huh?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, a lot of fun," Suzy giggled. "He spoiled her. She came home with _so_ many new outfits…I'm sure she'll insist on giving you a little fashion show later."

"I'll be happy to watch," Brock chuckled. "And don't worry, she's got plenty of room in her closet and drawers for all of it."

"Speaking of which, I'm terribly sorry about all of the bows on Forretress," Suzy apologized. "Bella just got a little…excited."

"Forretress is a good Pokémon, he doesn't mind," Brock assured her. "But I never realized Bella was so into fashion! Does she want to be a Pokémon breeder?"

"She does," Suzy sighed laughingly. "She definitely does. Talks about it all the time."

"I bet she'll be excellent at it," Brock commented. "She's got two of 'em as parents, after all!"

"Yeah," Suzy sighed, resting her head in her hand.

"Something on your mind?"

The breeder looked up and found Brock smirking.

"Hmm?"

"I can just tell," Brock hummed, shrugging his shoulders. "Seems like you're a little preoccupied."

"It's…just a little awkward," Suzy admitted.

"Hey, you can tell me!" Brock laughed. "I'm pretty sure it won't be the most awkward thing I've ever heard. Trust me. You don't want to _know_ some of the things I've heard."

Now it was Suzy's turn to smirk. "This one might be up there."

Brock rested his arms against the table and leaned forward. "Try me."

"Well…it turns out that while Bella was with Zane, she decided to drop the bombshell that we've been living with you," Suzy explained.

"Ah, that's not so bad," Brock dismissed.

"Oh no, I haven't finished," Suzy continued, leading Brock to raise an eyebrow. "She _also_ told him that you and I are a couple."

At this, Brock's face exploded into a deep red blush.

"Awkward enough for you?" Suzy trilled.

"Uh…just a little."

Suzy giggled at his reaction. "Don't worry, I talked to her about it."

"What did you say?"

"I said just because we're living together doesn't mean you and I _have_ to be together," Suzy replied.

"And?"

"She wasn't buying it."

Brock smiled at the idea.

"And then…she said one of the sweetest things I've ever heard her say," Suzy murmured.

"How can that be?" Brock chuckled. "Everything she says is sweet!"

"No, this was on a completely different level," Suzy refuted. "She said she loved you, Brock."

His eyebrows shot up. "She…loves me?"

Suzy nodded, her own smile widening. "She said she loves you like another dad."

Brock lowered his head to try and hide his ear-to-ear grin, but Suzy could see it. And it was making her happy. Overjoyed, in fact.

"I think that tonight, you should tuck Bella in alone," Suzy decided, causing Brock's head to shoot up.

"M-me?"

"Mmhm."

"Are you sure?" Brock breathed. "I mean, we usually both…"

"Yes, but I'll say my goodnights separately," Suzy mused. "I think it'd be a good idea for you and Bella to have some one-on-one time. Besides, she also told me how much she missed you while she was gone."

Brock was frozen in place, the near goofy smile still on his face. Standing up to gather the dishes, Suzy strode over to Brock and rested a hand on his shoulder, leaning down and brushing her lips against his ear.

"And I also know from our past few nights that you've really missed her as well," Suzy whispered. Smirking at his breathless reaction, Suzy gave Brock a kiss on the cheek before collecting his plate and bringing it into the kitchen along with her own.

**XXX**

"Hi, doll."

Bella perked up at the nickname. Brock had started calling her that shortly after her arrival, and Bella just _loved_ it. She asked Brock all the time if she was his doll, and he would always reply with a big smile and an exuberant "yes, of course!"

"Hi, Bwock!" Bella greeted, jumping out of bed and running over to him in order to hug his legs.

"You didn't have to come to me, sweetheart," Brock chuckled, picking Bella up and holding her against him. "I was going to come to you!"

"But I wanna pway!" Bella cried, blonde hair falling over her dark brown eyes.

"No, we already played today," Brock hushed, tucking the stray strands behind the little girl's ear. "It's bedtime now!"

Bella frowned at this.

"But we'll play again tomorrow," Brock promised, which brought the child's smile right back. Chuckling at the reaction, Brock carried her back to bed, putting her down and pulling the covers back over her. Just as the room had been repainted, the bed sheets had been changed to something more fitting for a young girl: pink percale sheets printed with fairytale images and a white duvet embroidered with beautiful flowers in the colors of pink, purple, blue, and green. Once she was settled, Brock reached for Bella's favorite nighttime friend, a stuffed Vulpix, and tucked it underneath the little girl's arm. "All comfy?"

"Uh huh," Bella murmured, snuggling the Vulpix. "Bwock, tell me a stowy."

"A story?" Brock repeated. Bella wordlessly nodded her head. "Okay, let's see…once upon a time, there was a very beautiful princess. The most beautiful princess in the entire world. And she loved Pokémon. She wanted to make them all look beautiful. But, she also knew that beauty was on the inside. That, she thought, was even more important than what people saw on the outside. One day, the princess met a kind village boy. He didn't live in a castle like she did, but he also believed that Pokémon were beautiful on the inside _and_ the outside. With that in mind, the princess and the village boy became very good friends. When the princess had to leave on a journey, she even left her most favorite Pokémon in the care of the village boy!"

"What kinda Pokémon?" Bella murmured.

"A Vulpix," Brock replied, tapping Bella's nose and causing her to giggle. "And the princess' Vulpix loved the village boy so much! And he wanted to take the very best care of Vulpix. He would brush her fur every day and every night, and give her the very best Pokémon food that he could make. But one day, the village boy found out the princess was returning. Even though he and Vulpix had become very good friends, he knew that the princess probably missed her very much. So, he decided to return Vulpix to the princess. She was so happy to see her old friend again that she asked the village boy to join her in a royal Pokémon pageant!"

"Did he?" Bella squeaked.

"He was more than happy to!" Brock laughed. "And they had so much fun together! But the princess wanted everyone to see what she and the village boy had learned together. So, she decided to go on a great big adventure with her Vulpix. That way, she could teach _everyone_ what she knew about Pokémon! The village boy was going to miss her very much, but he knew that the princess' knowledge had to be shared with everyone. So, they parted. And they didn't see each other for a _very_ long time."

Bella let out a squeaky yawn, and her eyes fell half closed.

"But, one day, they ran into one another again," Brock finished, his smile widening. "And, even though they were surprised at first, they were both very happy. They had missed each other so much! Not one day had gone by where the village boy hadn't thought of the princess. And once they were together again, they lived happily ever after."

Bella still looked very tired, but now, her smile had returned.

"Was that a good story?" Brock asked the sleepy little girl.

"Yeah…"

Brock chuckled at the little girl's quiet response. Leaning down, he kissed the girl's cheek and rubbed his nose against her temple. "Good night, doll. I love you."

Bella let out another yawn and nestled her head deeper into the pillow. "Love you, Daddy."

Brock gasped. He stared down at Bella in shock. The little girl was still smiling, and her eyes were completely closed at this point.

"Bella…" He whispered, tears filling his eyes. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek again, this time for much longer than the first. Once he was done, Brock stood up and wiped the tears away from his cheeks, turning towards the door and walking out. Once he was in the hallway, however, Brock was surprised to find Suzy resting against the wall, a peaceful smile on her face. "Suzy!"

"That was a really nice story, Brock," Suzy complimented the Pokémon doctor. "It sounded very familiar."

"Did it?" Brock asked softly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes, very much," Suzy replied, getting off the wall and moving in front of Brock. "But you left one very important detail out."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "What did I leave out?"

Still smirking, Suzy wrapped her arms around Brock's neck and let out a soft giggle. "The princess missed the village boy just as much. And…she never really thought of him as a village boy. She always thought of him as a prince. _Her_ prince."

Brock blushed. Then, in a sheepish voice, he asked, "did they still live happily ever after?"

Suzy giggled once again and pressed her lips against Brock's, igniting a passionate kiss that ended with warm smiles and two foreheads pressed together.

"They had the happiest ever after in the entire world," Suzy whispered.

* * *

**I've really fully fallen in love with this ship as I wrote this story. Suzy's just a great character to work with, since the anime didn't flesh her out too much. You can have your own interpretation, and for me, that's a lot of fun!**

**We've got two chapters left, and then maybe an epilogue if you guys so wish? We'll see what happens!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**I GOT A SNOW DAY! I'm very happy about this. At my school, we have to make them up (sads) but I'd rather go to school in the warm spring than in snowy winter. It's a lot less dreary and depressing.**

**BUT, to celebrate the fact that I'm at home and NOT in class right now (although, I do still have homework, grumble) here's the latest chapter to entertain all of you! This is a sweet one ^^**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Nine**

As it would turn out, Bella calling Brock "daddy" hadn't been a fluke, nor something said out of sheer exhaustion. She had really meant it. From that night on, she had begun alternating between "Brock" and "daddy," until Brock assured the little girl that it was alright to call him daddy.

Suzy had adjusted to life in a permanent home, instead of moving around. She was still booking showcases and slots in breeding competitions, but it was a thrill for her to know that she'd always have a place to return to. Besides, she was still on break for the summer, and enjoying every moment with both Brock and Bella.

She and Misty had become very good friends. It was easy, seeing how much time Brock spent with Ash. Bella, of course, was happy with it. She loved playing with Elizabeth. She had even been invited to the girl's seventh birthday party that August. Of course, so had Suzy and Brock.

While Misty and Suzy had busied themselves with keeping the children occupied, Brock had pulled Ash aside for some very important guidance.

"What are we doing in here, Brock?" Ash groaned, having been dragged into the living room by his best human friend. "They're about to have the cake!"

"No they're not," Brock chuckled. "Come on. I made sure Misty wasn't going to do anything involving the cake until we got back outside."

Ash narrowed his eyes at this. "You promise?"

"Yes! Sheesh, you'd think this is _your _birthday party with how much you care about the cake."

"Hey, Elizabeth and I happen to have the same preference for cake flavors, and I know for a _fact _that it's an ice cream cake with those little chocolate crunchies. I'm not missing out on that!"

"I'm not one for ice cream cake, but I won't punish you for your tastes," Brock chuckled.

Ash rolled his eyes at this and folded his arms across his chest. "Are you ever going to tell me what was so important? I want to know!" Just as Brock opened his mouth to respond, Ash cut him off. "And _not _just for the cake."

Smirking nervously, Brock reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box, causing Ash's eyebrows to shoot up his forehead. As soon as Brock opened the box, he revealed exactly what Ash had been expecting: a gorgeous diamond ring.

"Whoa," Ash breathed, his eyes fixated on the piece.

"It's nice, right?" Brock asked. "You think Suzy will like it?"

"Well…yeah," Ash replied with a laugh. "Of course! In fact, I bet she'll love it!"

Brock's confident smile faltered a bit, and he moved the box closer to his chest. "You think…you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Ash blinked at this. "What do you mean, Brock?"

"I know Suzy and I have only been dating for about three months," Brock explained, watching Ash's face for any signs of doubt. He couldn't see anything; Ash's face was perfectly still and unchanging. "But…I love her _so_ much, Ash. And I love Bella, too. I can't wait anymore. I waited once, and I lost her. I can't do it again. Does that make me crazy?"

Ash snickered at this. "Brock, you _are_ crazy, but not because you want to propose to Suzy."

"Thanks, I think?" Brock chuckled.

"_I_ think you're doing the right thing," Ash continued. "Then again, maybe you're taking to the wrong guy. I married Misty when I was 20, and I got her pregnant the next month. So maybe _I'm_ the crazy one."

"Ash, you _are _crazy, but not because you got married young and immediately knocked her up," Brock chuckled, repeating Ash's sentiments from before.

"Fair enough," Ash laughed. "So, when are you going to do it? Today?"

"No," Brock quickly refuted. "I was thinking about doing it at the end of the month, before she goes off to her first showcase after her summer break. She gets anxious when she's separated from Bella, so maybe a little bit of good news and something to look forward to will boost her spirits a little bit."

"I think that's a great plan, Brock-o!" Ash complimented, patting his friend on the back.

"Thanks," Brock sighed. He felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he hadn't even proposed to Suzy yet! "So, if she says yes-"

"_When_ she says yes," Ash interrupted Brock, throwing his old fiend a confident smile.

"Alright," Brock chuckled. "_When_ she says yes…will you be my best man at the wedding?"

Ash beamed at this. "It would be my honor, Brock! And I promise I'll throw you the best bachelor party ever."

Brock smirked at this. "You're not going to do anything with running it past Misty first, are you?"

Ash wilted at this. "No. Course not."

"That's what I thought," Brock laughed, playfully punching Ash's upper arm. "Come on, let's go get you some cake!"

**XXX**

Several weeks later, back in Pewter City, it was the night before Suzy was to head out for Vermillion City for her first breeding showcase of the season. She would be bringing Bella with her, since Zane would be there as well. He was only staying for the first day, however, and would then be taking the little girl for a short vacation to his parents' house in Johto.

Just as he always did the night before Bella would leave for a visit with Zane, Brock was cooking up a fantastic dinner. This time, however, it would be even _more _special. He knew, as soon as dinner was served, he was going to make his move. Fear was coursing through his veins, but along with it, excitement. He could only help that Suzy was going to say yes to him, and not laugh in his face. After all, it had only been three months…

_Three months. Am I crazy? I'm really doing this. I'm insane. But…what do I have to lose? I know Suzy is the love of my life. It's now or never…_

"Daddy, is dinner ready?"

Brock smirked and looked over his shoulder. Bella was standing in the doorway with a big smile on her face. She really was growing up…even in only the few months that Brock had known her. She had lost her childish lisp, for the most part, and had even gotten a little taller. He felt every much the proud father, despite Bella not being biologically his.

"Almost, doll," he promised. "Why don't you get Mommy to sit down at the table?"

Bella beamed and nodded her head, running back into the dining room with a giggle. Brock just smiled and took the pot off the stove, looking over all of his hard work. There definitely seemed to be enough food for way more than three people. But…Brock couldn't help it. Cooking really helped calm his nerves when he was anxious. So, he had just kept going and going. Before he knew it, he had cooked around six different dishes.

He carried all of the food out and placed it on the table, watching with an amused smile as Suzy and Bella's eyes lit up.

"Brock, you've really outdone yourself," Suzy laughed, sounding a little shocked.

"I know, I know, I went I went a little overboard," Brock sighed before chuckling. "Just wanted to make sure everyone was satisfied."

"We'd be satisfied no matter what, honey," Suzy breathed. "You didn't have to work yourself to the bone!"

"I didn't," Brock assured his girlfriend, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. "I enjoyed every minute of it."

"Daddy, I don't gots a fork!"

Brock smirked and looked over at Bella, who was frowning.

"Ah, how silly of me!" Brock playfully crowed. "Let me go get the utensils."

Scurrying back into the kitchen, Brock gathered the thee special settings he had created just for this meal. He had bundled each trio of a spoon, fork, and knife (save for Bella's setting; he didn't want the little girl using a knife) in a silk burgundy napkin with a pewter ribbon tied around each one to keep it all in place. On one setting, he had tied Suzy's engagement ring onto the ribbon. With a smile on his face, Brock nervously carried the settings out into the dining room, his hands shaking.

He first gave Bella the knifeless setting, which she immediately unraveled. Smirking, he placed the second setting at his seat, before walking towards Suzy. With his heart racing, and his mind telling him he was at the point of no return, Brock placed the final setting down next to Suzy's plate. She smiled up at him and looked down at the setting, ready to untie the bow with her delicate fingers. As soon as she touched the silky ribbon, however, her heart stopped. Brock knew, at that moment, that her dark brown eyes had caught sight of the ring in the middle. With his girlfriend frozen in place, Brock dropped down to one knee, Bella watching on with curious brown eyes.

"Suzy," Brock began, finally catching the breeder's attention. "I know we haven't been dating for long, but we've been friends for longer than I can even remember. And I know, with all of my heart, that I love you more than anything in the world. Well…you and Bella."

From across the table, the little girl giggled, looking positively delighted.

"So…with that in mind, I've decided to ask…will you marry me?"

Suzy's jaw, which had dropped upon finding the ring, was still hanging. Bella, on the other hand, was squealing and jumping up and down in her seat, crying, "say yes, Mommy! Say yes!"

Suzy laughed and hung her head for a moment before picking it back up, revealing to Brock that her dark brown eyes were filled with tears. "Well, you know that I always listen to my little girl."

Now it was Brock's turn for his jaw to drop. "Does that mean…?"

"Yes, Brock," Suzy murmured, the tears finally spilling down her cheeks. "I'll marry you."

Jumping up, and letting out an enamored breath, Brock reached for the setting and pulled the ring off of the pewter ribbon. Once he had it freed, Brock grabbed Suzy's hand and slipped the band onto her left ring finger. Once it was secure, Suzy raised her hand to her face in order to examine the ring. It was so beautiful…a white gold band adorned by a cluster of princess cut diamonds and followed up by a border of round diamonds.

"Do you like it?" Brock asked nervously.

"It's gorgeous," Suzy breathed, shaking her head. "Oh, Brock…"

He knelt down once again, this time to give Suzy a passionate kiss. They usually didn't do such things in front of Bella, but they would make an exception this one time. Bella, for what it was worth, didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she was delighted! She giggled as they kissed, and as soon as the two parted, Bella jumped out of her chair and ran over to Suzy with glittering eyes.

"Do you want to see Mommy's ring, beauty?" Suzy asked, knowing exactly what Bella wanted.

"Yeah!" Bella cheered.

Suzy lowered her hand so Bella could see the ring. Once the little girl was done examining it, she looked up at Suzy and beamed.

"It's so pretty, Mommy!" Bella cried.

"Isn't it?" Suzy giggled. "I love it!"

"Me too," Bella agreed. Right after she spoke, however, the grumbling of a stomach pierced the air. Suzy and Brock exchanged glances, but quickly figured out it wasn't either of them. "Mommy, Daddy…I'm hungwy."

Brock and Suzy chuckled at that. "Hungry" was still one of the words that Bella said with a lisp, and they both found it to be completely adorable.

"Sorry, doll, I forgot about dinner!" Brock replied. "Come on, let's eat!"

As Bella excitedly ran back to her seat, Brock sat down beside Suzy, throwing her a grin as she placed a hand on his thigh and gave him a cheeky smirk.

* * *

**Hooray, they're engaged! AND we got to see Ash this chapter, too! He's been conspicuously absent, so he had to make an appearance ;)**

**Anyway, this was the penultimate chapter (not including the epilogue, which I'm currently in the process of writing.) Next chapter will be the final "actual" chapter, and then the epilogue, and then...who knows? Maybe I'll write a sequel ;) Stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Oh my gosh, last chapter! Well...sort of. There's also the epilogue! But first...we have to get through the last chapter! Let's see what Brock and Suzy (oh, and Bella, of course!) are up to now!**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Chapter Ten**

The next month saw another exciting occasion: Brock's birthday.

Suzy made sure she wasn't working on that day. She wanted to be home to celebrate with him, and give him a very special gift. Bella, who had just returned from another visit with Zane, was equally as excited, and had made her own gift for Brock.

Brock, however, wasn't as lucky as Suzy. He couldn't take off from work just because it was his birthday. There were still sick and injured Pokémon to take care of. He did love his job, however, so Suzy knew he didn't really mind working on the day. Besides, he would be home in time for dinner, and that would be the first part of Suzy's gift.

Brock always seemed to be the one who made dinner, so for that night, Suzy was taking care of it. She didn't think she was as good of a cook as Brock, but she wasn't incompetent. She had a few good dishes in her arsenal, and she was going to take them all out for the evening. Bella, of course, was her special helper in the kitchen. The little girl loved to fetch ingredients and measure them. She, too, wanted to have a hand in making Brock's birthday dinner.

"Is Daddy gonna be supwised, Mommy?" Bella queried.

"I definitely think so!" Suzy giggled.

"And he'll like it?"

"He'll _love _it," Suzy replied, humming delightfully as she continued to cook. While she stirred the pot, she couldn't help but to keep looking at her left hand and smiling. She loved the way her engagement ring sparkled in the light. It was easily the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen in her life. And it made her so excited about the future.

"Suze! I'm home!"

Gasping, Bella darted right out of the kitchen, leading Suzy to giggle and shake her head. The little girl was so intent on helping out, but as soon as something better came along, she was quick to bolt. And for Bella, Brock was better than a lot of things. She really loved him. This, too, brought a smile to Suzy's face.

Brock walked into the kitchen, smiling at Suzy. In his arms he held Bella, who had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder.

"She was helping me cook, until she heard the door open," Suzy informed her fiancé. "Then it was bye-bye Bella!"

"Aw, you were excited to see me?" Brock crooned, smoothing down Bella's hair. "Is that it?"

"Yeah," Bella murmured, rubbing her cheek against Brock's shoulder.

"You're so cute," Brock chuckled. "So, what's for dinner? I wasn't expecting to see you two tearing up the kitchen!"

"It's a surprise," Suzy trilled, looking over her shoulder. "So no peeking!"

"Oh, what is this, a special birthday dinner?" Brock realized, his eyes lighting up.

"Of course!" Suzy giggled. "And it's just about finished. So, why don't you and Bella have a seat at the table?"

Nodding his head, Brock carried Bella into the dining room, sitting her down and kissing her atop the head. Suzy, of course, witnessed the whole thing by looking over her shoulder and watching with a smile. It warmed her heart in the best way possible.

Brock really made an amazing second father for Bella.

**XXX**

Once dinner was eaten and the dishes were washed, it was finally time for Brock to open up his presents. Bella, of course, strongly insisted she go first, and Suzy was not about to tell her little daughter no.

"She's extremely persistent," Suzy sighed laughingly as Bella handed a piece of paper over to Brock.

"Ah, she's just excited is all!" Brock chuckled. "Let's see, what did you give me, little girl?"

He flipped over the paper and examined what was drawn on it. It was three people standing beneath a big, yellow sun: two taller ones, obviously meant to be adults, and a smaller one with very long, yellow hair. Brock, of course, knew what it was, but he waited for Bella to explain it herself.

"Look, Daddy!" Bella exclaimed, getting up on her knees and pointing at the first person in the picture. "That's you, and I'm in the middle, and then that's Mommy!"

"Yeah, this is such a beautiful picture, doll!" He exclaimed, lifting the little girl into his lap and giving her a big hug. "I love it so much. Thank you, sweetheart."

Bella giggled and hugged him back. Suzy watched with a smile on her face as her fiancé and daughter snuggled.

"Bella, can I give Daddy _my_ present now?" Suzy asked.

"Yeah!" Bella chirped, jumping off of Brock's lap and running over to her mother. Smirking, Suzy reached over and handed Brock a long, dark blue box, one that would have usually contained a bracelet.

"You got me jewelry?" Brock asked with a snicker.

"No!" Suzy quickly refuted. "Come on, you haven't even opened the box yet!"

"Just an innocent little guess," Brock hummed.

"Open it, Daddy!" Bella cheered.

"Do you know what's in here, little girl?" Brock questioned.

"No," Bella chirped. It was true. Her mother hadn't shown or even told her what was in the box. It was a surprise for her, too. And she wanted to know what it was!

"You can open it," Suzy urged him, her dark eyes sparkling.

Nodding his head, Brock removed the top of the box. Once it was off, his body became rigid, and his mouth slowly fell open. Bella blinked and looked up at her mother, who was smiling sheepishly.

"S-Suzy…" Brock breathed, his voice shaking.

"Mmhm."

"Is this…this is real?"

"Of course it's real!" Suzy laughed. "Where else would I get…that?"

"I…don't know."

"Mommy, what's in the box?"

Suzy smiled down at Bella, who looked beyond confused at this point. Lifting the girl onto her lap, Suzy hugged Bella from behind and asked her young daughter, "Bella, how would you like to be a big sister?"

Bella's eyes widened at this, and now her own jaw dropped. "Yeah! I wanna be a big sister, Mommy! I wanna!"

"Well, that's good, then!" Suzy breathed. "Because that's my present for Daddy!"

Bella blinked at this. "What's _that _mean?"

Giggling, Suzy patted the top of Bella's head and replied, "It means I'm going to have a baby, sweetheart!"

Bella's entire face lit up. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, giggling and squeezing the woman.

"YAY!" Bella shrieked, bouncing up and down. "I'm so –cited, Mommy!"

"I can tell!" Suzy choked, carefully separating Bella from her now-sore neck. "And I'm glad."

Sliding off of her mother's lap and onto the floor, Bella looked excitedly between the two adults before squeaking, "I'ma tell Vulpix!" Once she ran off, still giggling, Brock looked up at Suzy, his face still reflecting an expression of shock.

"Suzy…" He murmured once again.

"Yes?" Suzy asked softly, raising her eyebrows.

"H-how long…?"

"A month," Suzy replied. "It happened a month ago."

"You mean…when we…"

"The night we got engaged," Suzy answered, nodding her head. Brock still looked stunned. He wasn't moving a muscle. Glancing down at her feet, Suzy softly added, "I…I never thought I'd get pregnant again. I thought Bella was my last chance. I'm just as surprised as you are. I thought I was way too old to have another baby. But…here we are."

Suzy was so busy looking down that she didn't take notice of Brock rushing towards her and engulfing her in a tight embrace. Looking up, Suzy's dark brown eyes widened as Brock kissed the top of her head before nuzzling it lovingly against his cheek.

"Brock?"

"I'm so happy," Brock breathed, his arms tightening. "I love Bella like my own. She's my daughter, no matter what. But I still wanted us to have our own child together. More than anything."

"So…you _are_ happy?" Suzy questioned. She knew Brock had already said it…she just wanted to make sure.

Chuckling, Brock pulled Suzy to her feet and gave his fiancée an extremely passionate kiss, still hugging her tightly before he separated for air. "Happier than you could ever know."

* * *

**They were already engaged, so the next thing Brock and Suzy needed was a baby! So now they're getting one :)**

**Next up: the epilogue! Get excited for it, guys :P**


	11. Epilogue

**SNOW DAY PART TWO! Man, I hate that frozen white stuff, but once it starts falling on my side, it's a bit more tolerable ;)**

**Anyway, with that being said, we've finally reached the end of the story! The epilogue! And it's gonna be a cute one! Plus, at the end of the story, I'll have a very special author's note! So...stay tuned for that, and enjoy the epilogue!**

* * *

**For the Love of Brock**

**Epilogue**

It was about five months later when Brock and Suzy actually wedded.

They had decided on a destination wedding on the Seafoam Islands. It wasn't going to be an overly extravagant affair: Suzy had already been married once before, of course, and felt that she didn't need to go through all of the pageantry again. Brock didn't mind at all. As long as he was marrying the girl of his dreams, he couldn't care less how prodigal the wedding was.

Ash had kept his promise to Brock and was serving as the groom's best man. Forrest was also a groomsman, along with Brock's four other brothers.

Suzy had selected Misty as her matron of honor. The gym leader couldn't understand why at first. She knew that she and Suzy were friends, but she didn't know that Suzy actually considered them to be that close. The breeder's explanation, however, made a lot of sense and cleared up any confusion that Misty had.

"_You're the one who brought Brock and I together, Misty. I'm going to be grateful to you for the rest of my life, and this was the least I could do to repay you."_

Suzy's other bridesmaids were Brock's four sisters, all of whom Suzy had also grown close with over the past nine months of her and Brock's relationship.

The only other guests at the wedding were Brock's parents, Ash's mother, the spouses of Brock's siblings and their children, Aiden, Michelle, Elizabeth, May and Drew plus their children, Max, Dawn and Kenny with their daughter Kady, a few of Suzy's breeding colleagues, and last but not least, Zane, who had been highly supportive of Suzy and Brock's union.

"Is it wrong that I'm a bit nervous?"

Misty, who was wearing a short, baby blue chiffon dress with a pleated bodice, smiled at Suzy's innocent inquiry. "Not at all. It's completely natural!"

Suzy looked over her shoulder and grimaced. "Even though I've been married once before?"

"Maybe that's _why_ you're nervous," Misty giggled. "But everything is going to be just fine. I know it. You love Brock, and Brock loves you. And, most importantly, you both love that little girl over there."

Suzy turned her gaze onto the corner of the room. Bella was currently giggling and reaching into her white flower girl basket to pull out the baby blue flower petals and hold them up to Elizabeth's face. Both girls had been named as flower girls for the affair: Elizabeth as Brock's goddaughter, and Bella as his soon-to-be stepdaughter.

"You're going to be a very happily married couple. I just know it."

Suzy glanced back up at Misty and smiled. "You always know how to make me feel better, Misty."

"I try," Misty laughed softly, her red curls bouncing around her face.

Suzy got up from her vanity seat and beamed at her matron of honor. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful," Misty assured the breeder.

"Do you really mean it?" Suzy asked warily. "I don't look…fat, do I?"

Misty shook her head. "No way, Suzy. You look gorgeous! Besides, this is a small wedding. It's really only your family and friends. There's no one here you need to impress besides Brock! Trust me, I basically got married in front of the entire world."

Suzy giggled at this. "You're right. I just have to be confident."

"And you always are," Misty chimed in.

Suzy blushed and held both of her hands beneath her burgeoning stomach. She had never imagined herself getting married while she was pregnant, but she and Brock had both decided they didn't want to wait until after the baby was born. They wanted to be husband and wife when it arrived. So, she would be walking down the aisle with a bump. And, despite her currently present nervousness, Suzy was otherwise feeling happy with her decision.

She had chosen a floor length, white chiffon dress that was flowy and left room for her growing belly. The bodice was pleated, just like her bridesmaids' dresses, while a halter strap came up behind her neck and was tied into a bow with two long tails hanging all the way down her back. She had put her hair up into a loose, elegant bun, and forgone a veil in favor of a white satin tropical flower hairpiece adorned with feathers and crystals.

"Brock is going to be speechless," Misty assured the blushing bride. "Trust me."

"Ooh, guys, the wedding is about to begin! Come on!"

Misty and Suzy both looked towards the doorway, where Brock's youngest sister Tilly stood. She was dressed in the same baby blue dress as Misty, and looked ready to jump out of her skin with excitement. Yolanda, Cindy, and Suzie, Brock's three other sisters, all giggled eagerly and joined Tilly at the door. While Cindy also wore the baby blue dress, Yolanda and Suzie wore the same dress but in a baby pink hue instead.

"Elizabeth, Bella, are you all set?" Misty kindly called to the young girls in the corner.

"Yeah!"

They both called back simultaneously, accentuating their ratification with girlish giggles as they ran towards their mothers. Both girls wore white, tea length chiffon dresses with spaghetti straps. A baby pink sash was tied around Elizabeth's waist, while a complimenting baby blue one adorned Bella's gown.

"You two look so beautiful," Suzy murmured breathlessly. "I know you'll both make the most wonderful flower girls."

"Mommy, let's go!" Bella giggled, jumping up and down. "I'm so –cited!"

"I know you are!" Suzy laughed. "You've been excited for the past five months!"

Still giggling, Bella ran over to her future aunts and tried to plow her way through the door, earning laughter from the four women in her way.

"Alright, we'd better get out there," Suzy decided. "Or else Bella is going to bowl the whole wedding party over."

"I'd like to see that, actually," Misty giggled.

**XXX**

It was warm and breezy on the beach that day. Absolutely perfect for a small, picturesque wedding.

Brock, surprisingly enough, was not nervous. He was just excited. Ash, for one, was glad. He remembered how nervous he had been on his own wedding day, and how valiantly Brock had tried to calm him down. Ultimately, it hadn't worked, and Delia had to be called in. Ash was afraid he'd have to do the same thing with Brock, and subsequently fail, but Brock was taking everything in stride.

"You ready, Brock?" Ash whimsically asked his best friend.

"I've been ready for the past five months," Brock chuckled. "I just want to be able to call her my wife."

The processional began with Elizabeth and Bella sprinkling their flower petals on the white sand, giggling and smiling at each other during the entire trek. This was followed by Misty and then Brock's sisters walking up the aisle in age order: Yolanda, Cindy, Suzie, and finally, Tilly.

And then, Suzy finally appeared.

Just as Misty had predicted, Brock's breath was taken away in an instant. He thought Suzy looked absolutely gorgeous, just positively glowing. The pink smile on her face, her blushing cheeks, the one hand on her swollen midsection that contained their surely beautiful baby. He couldn't fight the giant smile forming on his face. Brock was overjoyed, and he could hardly believe that in just a few minutes, that stunning woman would be all his.

"She looks beautiful, Brock," Ash whispered to his best friend.

Brock chuckled softly, but didn't even look back at Ash. He simply couldn't take his eyes off of Suzy.

"You're telling me, buddy."

**XXX**

After the ceremony, the reception was held in a nearby yacht club, also situated on the beach. Brock, who could now happily call Suzy his wife, doted on her all evening like the loving _husband _he was. They held hands practically all evening, and hardly went ten minutes without kissing. When they weren't holding hands or kissing, Brock mindlessly rubbed Suzy's round belly, his smile not once faltering as he felt their child thrive beneath his palm.

"So jumpy," Brock chuckled.

"I guess it's just as excited as we are!" Suzy giggled.

"That's the next step," Brock breathed. "Bringing our little baby into the world."

"Speaking of which, I believe there's something you and I have to attend to," Suzy hummed.

Brock smirked at Suzy and nodded. Cautiously and lovingly, he helped Suzy up from her chair and held her hand as the two walked towards Ash and Misty together. The younger couple was sitting at their table, innocently cuddling with one another as they exchanged sweet but quiet compliments.

"Whoa, calm down over here!"

Ash nearly fell out of his chair, grabbing onto Misty for leverage. Narrowing her eyes, Misty pried Ash's fingers from her dress and watched as he instead held onto the chair, slowly inching himself back onto his seat.

"I was just teasing ya, bud!" Brock chuckled. "That was pretty funny, though."

Sighing, Suzy playfully smacked Brock's chest, earning a huff from the Pokemon doctor. Misty, in turn, laughed at the action and threw Suzy a confident glance.

"You're learning!" She crowed. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you," Suzy giggled. "I try!"

"Oh, don't enable her," Brock implored the gym leader sitting before him.

"It'd be a shame if I didn't," Misty breathed, holding a hand over her heart.

"Well, if you're going to keep being a bad influence, I might just have to change my mind," Brock hummed.

"About what?" Ash questioned innocently. "Marrying Suzy? That's not nice, Brock. It's not her fault Misty is a scary enabler!"

Misty slammed a fist down atop Ash's head, earning a whine from the Pokemon Master. Suzy, in turn, looked a little flustered, while Brock was not at all surprised.

"I'm sorry," Misty apologized earnestly. "I'll try to tone it down a little. You just know that sometimes, Ash's density drives me insane."

"I do," Brock confirmed. "Trust me. Sometimes it makes it hard to feel bad for him."

"Not funny, Brock," Ash groaned, still rubbing his head.

"Anyway, what were you planning on changing your mind about?" Misty asked curiously.

"Well, Suzy and I have been talking a lot…" Brock began before being cut off by Ash.

"Well, you live together and now you're married, so I hope you've been talking a lot," Ash quipped.

Looking over her shoulder, Misty glared at her husband and threatened, "do you want to get hit again?"

"No, thank you!"

Brock smirked at the couple's interaction. "Anyway, we both came to an agreement on something very important. I thought it would only be fair and right, and Suzy agrees whole heartedly, if you two were to be the godparents of our baby."

Misty's eyes lit up at this, and even Ash looked extremely excited.

"Would that be alright with you two?" Suzy giggled.

"Oh, yes!" Misty squealed, jumping up and throwing her arms around Brock. "Yes, yes, yes! That would be the most amazing thing ever! Thank you!"

Once she let go of Brock and hopped over to Suzy, Ash himself stood up and grabbed Brock's hand before pulling him into a hug and patting him on the back. "Thanks, Brock-o. This is an honor."

"Don't mention it, bud," Brock chuckled.

"So, does this mean Misty and I get to know if it's a boy or a girl?" Ash asked excitedly.

"No, because not even Suzy or I know!" Brock laughed. "You'll find out when it's born, just like us."

"I don't even know how you manage to do that," Misty breathed, placing a hand on Suzy's swollen stomach. "I was _way _too impatient. The minute I could find out what I was having, I did!"

"Yeah, and that led to us thinking Elizabeth was a _boy_ for about a month," Ash added.

"She's seven years old, and I _still_ feel bad about it," Misty hummed.

"That's pretty funny, considering how girly she is," Suzy remarked.

"It's extremely ironic," Misty agreed.

"I couldn't imagine my little Lizzie as a boy," Brock admitted with a chuckle. "She's always been my princess."

Misty beamed at Brock. "You've loved her since before she was born, Brock. Aiden and Michelle, too. It's really the sweetest thing."

"Thanks…" Brock chuckled sheepishly, his cheeks turning bright red.

"I just know you're going to make an amazing father," Misty continued, reaching out and grabbing Brock's hand. "Whether you have a son or a daughter, that baby is very lucky."

Brock's eyes glistened with tears. "Misty…that means so much. Thank you."

He pulled the gym leader into a tight, brotherly hug, looking over her head and smiling at both Ash and Suzy, who were throwing him their own confident, approving looks.

**XXX**

And, three months later, Brock finally got to fulfill that mission.

Almost a full two weeks after her due date, and a solid twelve hours of labor, Suzy had given birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl.

The baby had been born at their home, just as Suzy had wanted. She was not a fan of hospitals…they gave her a lot of anxiety. In comparison, the birth at home had been peaceful and stress free, and left both Brock and Suzy completely overjoyed.

The day after the little girl's arrival, Ash and Misty had come over to the house by the invitation of Brock in order to meet their goddaughter. Ash was excited, but next to him, Misty was practically jumping out of her skin.

"Oh, I can't wait to meet her!" Misty squealed. "I bet she's so beautiful!"

"She is," Brock confirmed with a laugh. "Because she looks just like Suzy! That was a big relief for me."

"You might want to be careful with that, Brock," Ash advised his friend. "I thought Elizabeth looked just like Misty because she was so beautiful, and then I was told by everyone that I was wrong and she looked just like me."

"Because she _does_," Brock chuckled. "But I know for a fact that my daughter looks _just_ like Suzy."

"Where's Bella?" Misty asked curiously as Brock closed the door behind her and Ash.

"Sleeping," Brock snorted. "She loved being around when the baby was born, but I think it took a lot out of her. I haven't had the heart to wake the poor girl up!"

"You're probably better off," Ash commented as Brock led them up the stairs. "Trust me, Brock-o, you're gonna learn that two kids is a lot harder than one."

"Ash, how would you know?" Misty questioned. "We never _had_ one kid!"

"Exactly," Ash drawled, leading Misty to roll her eyes.

Once the group arrived at Brock and Suzy's bedroom, the new father opened up the door and peeked in to make sure Suzy wasn't in the middle of feeding the baby. When he saw that she wasn't, his smile widened, and he pushed the door all the way open for Ash and Misty to enter.

"Hi, guys," Suzy greeted softly, not wanting to be too loud for the baby's sake. That same child was being cradled in her arms, wrapped in a white, cable knit blanket.

"Hi, Suzy!" Misty greeted warmly. "Wow, you look amazing! Much better than I did right after I gave birth."

"Oh, stop it, you were gorgeous after you had our kids," Ash refuted, successfully bringing a blush to Misty's face.

"He's worth putting up with sometimes, huh?" Brock teased.

"Obviously, or else he'd be _far_ out the door by now," Misty joked right back.

"Whoa, look at her…"

Misty looked up at Ash and gasped. He was leaning over the side of the bed, examining the bundle in Suzy's arms.

"Ash, who said you could look at her without me?!" Misty whined.

"That's what you get for making jokes about me," Ash quipped, earning a scowl from Misty. But no argument, because she kind of knew she'd had it coming. "But come on, you have to see her. She's beautiful!"

Her scowl evaporating into a smile, Misty moved over next to Ash and looked down at the newborn, all of her breath quickly escaping from her throat. Brock and Suzy's daughter was, just as Misty had expected, gorgeous.

The infant had a head full of wispy, dark brown hair, about the same shade as Brock's. Her eyes were sealed shut, keeping the color hidden for now, but that was made up for by her chubby little cheeks that made you just want to pinch them. Her skin was an absolutely beautiful color, a warm, light mocha that proved to be the perfect mix between Brock and Suzy's. That made her darker than Bella, but not by an excessive amount. Already, Misty could tell that the infant got her little button nose from Suzy, and her pouty mouth from Brock.

"Oh my gosh…" Misty murmured, holding a hand over her heart.

"What do you think?" Brock asked quietly.

"She's so beautiful," Misty choked out, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, I just want to squeeze her!"

"I know you'd like to hold her, wouldn't you?" Suzy giggled.

"If it's alright," Misty whispered, still sounding in awe.

"Of course!" Suzy complied. "Here, sweetie. Go to your godmother…"

Misty's breath once again hitched at the title. Accepting the bundled up infant, Misty held the baby close to her chest and whimpered as she continued to gaze at the newborn.

"Hi," Misty whispered to the baby, her smile not once faltering. "Did you hear your mama? I'm your godmother, sweetheart! It's so lovely to meet you…"

"I wanna meet her, too."

Misty smirked and turned her head, where Ash was already peering over her shoulder. His eyes were totally mystified, barely blinking as he stared at the baby in his wife's arms.

"You can meet your godfather, too," Misty sighed playfully, turning around and handing the newborn off to her husband. "Believe it or not, he's actually really good with babies."

Ash smiled as the newborn was transferred to his arms. He had always loved holding babies after Aiden and Michelle had been born. Originally, it had scared him like nothing else in the world. But the twins had given him complete confidence on the matter.

"Hello there, little girl," Ash greeted softly. "You sure are good looking. How's Daddy gonna deal with all the boys coming after you?"

"Easy, there will be _no boys_," Brock declared seriously. "None for her, and none for Bella, for that matter."

"And have you talked to Zane about that?" Misty mused.

"Of course I have, we both agreed on it," Brock snorted.

"Oh, Brock," Suzy sighed, resting her head against the backboard of the bed. "How can you keep our daughters off limits when you chased after girls for your entire life?"

"Suze, boys like me are exactly _why_ I won't let them near either of our daughters," Brock deadpanned.

"At least he admits it," Ash chuckled, stroking the baby's cheek.

"Brock, you haven't even told us the baby's name yet!" Misty gasped.

"Oh, I haven't," Brock breathed, realization hitting him.

"How could you forget that?" Misty demanded.

"It…it slipped!" Brock cried. "I was nervous!"

Misty let out a single laugh, leading Brock to raise an eyebrow. "It's funny to watch you get all worked up."

"For you, maybe," Brock muttered, sagging his shoulders.

"Come on, Brock, what's her name?" Ash pleaded, still cradling the baby. "It's not fair that we don't get to know our goddaughter's name!"

"Sorry," Brock apologized, a warm smile gracing his lips. "It's Lucia. Lucia Brooke."

"Lucia," Ash repeated, looking down at the baby and beaming. "Yeah, she does look like a Lucia!"

"That's such a beautiful name," Misty breathed. "Any special reason you guys chose it?"

"We both just really liked the name Lucia," Suzy replied with a shrug. "I mean, I liked that it means 'light.' I thought that was cute, because Brock is kind of like my light. But Brock didn't know I wanted the middle name Brooke for a girl until after she was born. We literally named her five minutes after she was born, when I first held her. I told him that I wanted her middle name to be after him. So…Brooke."

"It was the best surprise ever," Brock murmured, sitting down beside Suzy and kissing her cheek. "Other than finding out that Lucia was actually going to be born, of course."

Still smiling, Misty turned back towards her husband and leaned down to kiss the baby's forehead. "You're so beautiful, Lucia. And your name is perfect for you! A beautiful little light."

With a tiny squeak, Lucia's eyes fluttered open, revealing their color to her godparents. Ash and Misty both cooed as soon as they saw the bright orbs: dark brown, the exact same color as Suzy and Bella's.

"Oh, Suzy, she has your eyes!" Misty breathed. "How beautiful!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Brock hummed and got up from the bed, knowing that it was Bella who was calling him.

"Hey, why don't you and Suzy spend some more time with Lucia?" Ash asked airily, handing the baby back to her mother. "Misty and I can go surprise Bella and keep her occupied for a bit!"

"Are you sure?" Brock murmured.

"Of course!" Misty giggled. "We love Bella. Besides, Lucia isn't even a day old yet! She needs to spend some alone time with Mommy and Daddy. That's pretty much the only good thing about hospitals."

"_Daddy!_"

"Come on, Mist," Ash urged, gently tugging at his wife's arm. "We'd better get to Bella before she throws an Elizabeth-esque tantrum."

"On it," Misty giggled, hopping off the bed. "Have fun with your baby, you two! We'll be back in a little while."

Once Ash and Misty left the room, Brock and Suzy immediately immersed themselves in a passionate kiss. From between them, Lucia let out a harsh whimper and waved her arms in the air, as though willing her parents to separate.

"Guess we're gonna have to get used to that," Brock chuckled, pulling away from his wife. He looked down at the baby and smiled as she squirmed, reaching down and allowing her to wrap her tiny hand around his index finger. "I'm so in love with her, Suzy."

"Well, I'm glad, because she was a lot of work," Suzy giggled, bouncing the newborn in her arms. "Two little girls is a lot of work. You're ready for it?"

"Of course I am," Brock chuckled. "If Ash can handle two girls, _I_ can handle two girls."

Suzy smiled and raised Lucia to her face in order to kiss the baby, earning more throaty noises from the newborn.

"Suzy…" Brock breathed, gently holding his hand against the woman's cheek.

"Yes, Brock?" She laughed.

"What do you think about another one?"

Suzy's eyes widened at this. "Oh my gosh, Brock! It hasn't even been a day!"

"I know, I know!" Brock chuckled. "But, you and I aren't exactly the youngest new parents in the world. So I figured if we want another one…we can't wait too long."

Suzy bit her lower lip and glanced up sheepishly at Brock. "You really want another one?"

"Well, it's like you always say," Brock murmured, leaning down to kiss Lucia's nose before looking up at Suzy once again. "Everything happens for a reason."

* * *

**Yay! A happy ending :) And, in case anyone was wondering (since there are a lot of different ways to pronounce the name Lucia) Brock and Suzy's daughter's name is pronounced as LOO-SEE-AH. Like Lucy with an A at the end :P I got it from the Italian version of the name, but thought the straight Italian pronunciation was a bit too sharp, especially with an older sister named Bella.**

**So, now that we're done here, I've got a sequel in the works! It will be about Brock and Suzy having another child, and their adventures with raising Bella and Lucia together :) It should be really cute! And with another day off from school, I'll get to work on it right away.**

**I'd just like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story. I know breedershipping isn't a huge ship for fanfics, so all of the support I got for the story was really great! Especially PrincessOfDestiny18, who was pretty much my fangirl during this whole thing and left me greatly appreciative and excited about the story :P**

**So, with that said, thanks a bunch, and I'll be bringing the sequel your way soon!**


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